The House

Are we losing the war against ISIS?

Setbacks don't mean coalition forces are losing the war against ISIS. That's the argument put forward by Defence Minister Jason Kenney. But is it time for Canada to reconsider its strategy?
A car is engulfed by flames during clashes in the city of Ramadi on Saturday. ISIS militants drove security forces from a key military base in western Iraq on Sunday and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi authorized the deployment of Shia paramilitaries to wrest back control of the mainly Sunni province. (Reuters)

The Caliphate strikes back. First Ramadi. Now Palmyra...

The fall this week of these two critical cities -- Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's largest province, and Palmyra, an ancient town in central Syria -- to ISIS forces has punctured any sense of optimism that the terrorist group was on its way out.

Are the new gains for ISIS simply a "set back" for Canada and the rest of the coalition? Part of the expected ebb and flow of warfare -- or are we losing the war? Parliamentary Secretary to the Defence Minister James Bezan argues that we shouldn't dismiss the efforts of Iraqi and coalition forces because of a "bad week."

ISIS in control of Syria's Palmyra ruins: activists

10 years ago
Duration 3:24
UNESCO-recognized ruins called the 'Venice of Sands' are at serious risk because ISIS forces destroy pre-Islamic dated sites