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Canada joins a difficult fight against the Islamist radical group ISIS

As Canada steps in with strategic military help for ISIS foes and world leaders consider making alliances they once rejected, we're turning to the man who's been tracking the rise of ISIS to learn just what Canadian - and other - troops .. are up against....
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The Current21:58Canada joins a difficult fight against the the Islamic radical group ISIS - September 8, 2014
As Canada steps in with strategic military help for ISIS foes and world leaders consider making alliances they once rejected, we're turning to the man who's been tracking the rise of ISIS to learn just what Canadian - and other - troops .. are up against.

Based on the assessment of needs on the ground, President Obama has requested a commitment of Canadian military advisers. In response to this request, cabinet has authorized the deployment of several dozen members of the Canadian armed forces.Prime Minister Stephen Harper

And with that, Prime Minister Stephen Harper committed Canada to the struggle against ISIS. His announcement Friday came at the end of a NATO summit where leaders said ISIS is a major security concern.


The violent Islamist militants have swept across Iraq to seize oil wells, water treatment facilities and military equipment. The West watches with alarm as ISIS takes advantage of the instability of Iraq. And it watched in horror as ISIS militants beheaded two American journalists, apparently in retaliation for U.S. drone attacks.

Now, the Obama administration is expanding its reaction to the threat. On Saturday, the United States launched air strikes against fighters it said were advancing on the key Haditha Dam in western Iraq. And this Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama -- who's faced criticism for not having a strategy to deal with ISIS -- makes a speech outlining his so-called "game plan". The White House is reiterating it will not use ground troops and there are already news reports that this new effort could last three years.


To learn more about ISIS's rise to power and the significance of Canadian military intervention, we were joined by two guests:

Patrick Cockburn is the Middle East correspondent for The independent and the author of The Jihadis Return: ISIS and the New Sunni Uprising.

Kamran Bokhari is an advisor in Middle Eastern and South Asian Affairs with global intelligence company Stratfor. He's also the author of Political Islam in the Age of Democratization.


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This segment was produced by The Current's Laura Anderson, Josh Bloch and Ines Colabrese.

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