Silence from Ottawa ‘shameful’ after report of Canadian camp hit by missiles: Conservative MP
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Conservative defense critic James Bezan said it was “absolutely shameful” the Liberal government did not tell the public about a reported Iranian missile strike on an airport in Kuwait where Canadian Armed Forces personnel were stationed.
La Presse newspaper reported on Thursday that the Canadian unit at Ali Al-salem Air Base appears to have been damaged by the March 1 attack, based on an analysis of satellite images. No members of the Canadian military were injured.
“This is a failure of the government not wanting to communicate, not being successful and not sharing with Canadians how Canada has affected this war,” Bezan told reporters on Thursday.
The Liberal government called a debate in Parliament on Monday night about the war in Iran, but did not mention the attack or any damage to the base of Kuwait.
The Department of National Defense (DND) took a week to respond to a March 6 inquiry from The Canadian Press about the reported airstrike. It said it does not disclose this information as a policy.
“We are aware of reports of strikes near Ali Al-Salem Air Base. For security reasons, we are not discussing damage assessments or impacts on military facilities,” said DND spokesperson Lt. Pamela Hogan via email on Thursday.
“Based on the events since Feb. 27, efforts are focused on the security of Canadian Armed Forces members, including relocating others within the region, staying in place if force protection is necessary and where appropriate, repatriating to Canada.”
Hogan added that all Canadian troops in the region “are currently safe and accounted for.”
But Bezan argued that Canada’s allies, including the United States, are more transparent than Canada by holding daily briefings and discussing the damage of the attacks.
“This government has been very secretive,” said Bezan.
With Iran cut off from communication with the outside world, a small CBC News team was able to collect messages from people inside the country during the war – voices that reveal the critical daily life of threats and fear, but also glimmers of hope.
Defense Minister David McGuinty and Chief of Defense Staff General Jennie Carignan participated in a cabinet meeting on Thursday morning at Parliament Hill. He did not answer questions from reporters in the corridor outside the meeting room.
Foreign Minister Anita Anand told reporters that she had no knowledge of the attack on the Kuwaiti air base and could not confirm the newspaper report.
“I didn’t go into detail about some of the reports, but I spoke with Minister McGuinty this morning, and he assured me that all lives have been accounted for,” Anand said at a Thursday news conference where he was giving an update on humanitarian aid in the region.
Anand also said that he will travel abroad next week to continue efforts to try to ease the situation in the Middle East.
Canada has about 200 troops in the Middle East in six different locations.
