Justin Trudeau says Canada won’t be part of military action in Syria

Canada’s military will not take part in action against the Syrian regime, according to comments made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

While the Prime Minister’s Office did not provide an original statement to Global News, it forwarded a translated excerpt of comments Trudeau made to Radio-Canada earlier this week.

“We are not looking to be present in Syria,” Trudeau said in the interview.

The prime minister explained that Canada is already engaged in the fight against the Islamic State in northern Iraq, and in operations in Mali and Latvia.

“But we are providing humanitarian aid,” Trudeau said of Syria. “We are working diplomatically and politically to try to find solutions.”

“Certainly, it’s a potential conflict zone that could grow and affect other countries, but we continue to work with our partners.”

The decision to abstain from military engagement in Syria comes as several other world leaders are mulling what action they will take.

Among them is U.S. President Donald Trump, who promised a military response amid reports that the Syrian army used chemical weapons in an attack last week on the city of Douma.