What is Canada doing to help Nigeria 'Bring Back the Girls'?
The militant Islamic group Boko Haram abducted 276 school-aged girls. The United States, Britain and France have all offered support. But exactly what Canada will do is still unclear.
Deepak Obhrai is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He joined us to shed some light on Canada's role.
It would be very difficult for me to say what we are doing exactly, due to security reasons.Deepak Obhrai, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Whatever Canada's commitments, the military faces a serious challenge in Nigeria. Hostage rescue missions are notoriously risky and complicated.
To help us understand what's at stake in this operation, we were joined by Michel Drapeau, a retired Colonel of the Canadian Forces.
They want to have as many flags as possible involved in it, in case...there are some difficulties. You have enough countries participating to share loss, and share the blame.Michel Drapeau, a retired Colonel of the Canadian Forces.
This week, MPs argued over Canada's involvement, after Paul Dewar called for an emergency parliamentary debate. He's the NDP Foreign Affairs critic.
We support our government providing logistic support...but there's some details lacking, and it would be helpful for us to know the exact number of personnel on the ground.Paul Dewar, the NDP Foreign Affairs critic
- Deepak Obhrai is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- Michel Drapeau is a Part-time Professor at the University of Ottawa, and a retired Colonel of the Canadian Forces.
- Paul Dewar is the NDP's Foreign Affairs critic.
What do you think about Canada's role in Nigeria?
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This segment was produced by The Current's Gord Westmacott, Cynthia Vukets, and intern Deanne Bender.