Defence Minister Jason Kenney says Canada has contingency plans in place for "rapid evacuation" should a Canadian fighter jet be shot down over Syria and the pilot captured by ISIS on the ground.
Speaking to CTV's Question Period, Kenney also said that Canada has no plans of going into Yemen, where a clash between the Sunni-majority government and a group of Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, has been growing.
"We have absolutely no intention of taking military action of any kind in or around Yemen," said Kenney. "None of those groups in Yemen have declared war on Canada.”
Kenney added that Canada is focusing on the threat posed by Islamic State militants.
Last week, Yemeni President Abdel Rabbo Mansour Hadi was forced to flee his country just hours after the rebels seized an air base. Other regional powers are involved in the conflict too. Iran is backing the rebels, while Saudi Arabia is bombing the Houthis in Yemen, with the support of Egypt and other Gulf states.
Wading into a Shiite/Sunni war?
Kenney's comments come amid concerns Canada is wading into a growing regional clash between the Shiite and Sunni branches of Islam.
Last week, the Conservative government tabled a motion in the House of Commons to extend Canada's mission against ISIS by one year and to expand airstrikes into Syria.
NDP Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar cautioned the government doesn’t understand what it's getting into.
"You have the Shiites who are allied with Tehran with the Iranians. You have the Kurds (in Iraq). You have different formations within Iraq. And then, go into Syria? Well, I'll tell you what. It's not just ISIS there. There is over 1,000 different groups you're talking about," Dewar told Question Period.
The opposition parties have been highly critical of the government's plans to extend and expand Canada's anti-ISIS mission. They are particularly concerned about Canada's plans to join the U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria and the danger Canadian troops will face in the country.
Late last year, ISIS captured a Jordanian pilot after his fighter jet crashed in northern Syria. After holding the pilot for a short amount of time, the terrorist groups burned him alive, capturing the gruesome act on video.
When asked what Canada would do if a Canadian fighter-jet pilot was caught in a similar circumstance, Kenney said the government has a plan in place.
"We have contingencies that we develop -- in this case with the United States -- for rapid evacuation in the case of an incident like that," the minister said.
Kenney did not elaborate on those plans.
While Kenney acknowledged the risk involved with any mission, he said he feels confident about sending Canadian warplanes into Syrian airspace, as allies have already flown "hundreds of sorties" over the country.
"The military advice I've received is that the Syrian military has no radar coverage or anti-aircraft armaments in that part of Syria. Obviously it's under the control of ISIL, and ISIL doesn't have the capability of hitting aircraft at these altitudes," said Kenney.
"It's not a political decision"
Kenney defended the government's decision to extend and expand the mission, saying he would not be surprised if other allies decide to start bombing ISIS in Syria as well.
"It's not a political decision. This is their capital. It's where most of their operations are and it should not be a safe haven for this organization to spread its violence around the world," said Kenney.
But critics have accused the government of using the ISIS threat to appeal to the Conservatives’ voter base in an election year.
"I think there's a political election strategy at play. I think the prime minister … knows that a country that is at war tends to have more support for a leader than a country that's at peace," Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said las t week. "There is a lot politics going on here. We're dealing in international affairs, where we should tread carefully."
While the opposition parties have expressed their plans to oppose the motion when the House votes on it next week, the Conservative majority means it will likely pass easily.
With files from the Associated Press
