Canadian Parliament Authorizes Airstrikes Against the Islamic State

The Canadian parliament on Tuesday  approved the government's plan to join the U.S. led airstrikes against the Islamic State militants in Iraq.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party had initiated the motion last week. 157 legislators voted in favor of airstrikes while 134 cast their vote against it.

The motion authorizes air strikes in Iraq for six months and clearly states that ground troops would not be deployed in combat operations.

"The threat posed by ISIL is real," Harper said in a statement, referring to the Islamic State by one of its acronyms.

"If left unchecked this terrorist organization will grow and grow quickly. They have already voiced their local and international terrorist intentions and identified Canada as a potential target," he said, reports the Associated Press.

The new mission will comprise of six CF-18 fighter jets, a refueling tanker aircraft, two surveillance aircrafts and one airlift aircraft.

More than two dozen Canadian Special Forces advisers are already in Iraq. The U.S has requested Canada to increase the advisers up to 69  to help the Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State.

Canada's opposition parties have criticized the government's decision to join the coalition.

Thomas Mulcair, leader of the official opposition New Democrats, blamed the government for plunging Canada into an extended war without a reliable plan to help victims of Islamic State terror, reports CBC News.

The New Democrats party had proposed an amendment to revamp the motion completely and shift focus to arm local fighters against the Islamic State. Increasing humanitarian aid was also proposed by the party.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has welcomed Canada's decision to join the coalition.

 "Canadians and Americans have fought alongside each other in several major conflicts over the past century, and we are grateful for Canada's further contribution against terrorism," a White House statement said, reports AP.