With the ink still damp on voter slips, newly crowned elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau [6] wasted no time in fulfilling the first of his liberal "hope" and "change" promises. As AFP reports, [7]hours after defeating Stephen Harper, Trudeau has told US President Obama that he will withdraw Canadian fighter jets from Syria and Iraq, though giving no timeline. So far, the US response is a mutedly diplomatic but tinged with guilt, "We have stood shoulder to shoulder with Canadian armed forces... in Iraq and Afghanistan," from the US State Department.
"About an hour ago I spoke with President Obama," Trudeau told a press conference.
While Canada remains "a strong member of the coalition against ISIL," Trudeau said he made clear to the US leader "the commitments I have made around ending the combat mission."
Canada last year deployed CF-18 fighter jets to the region until March 2016, as well as about 70 special forces troops to train Kurds in northern Iraq.
During the campaign, Trudeau pledged to bring home the fighter jets and end its combat mission. But he vowed to keep military trainers in place.
His new Liberal government will be "moving forward with our campaign commitments in a responsible fashion," Trudeau said.
"We want to ensure that the transition is done in an orderly fashion."
Earlier on Tuesday, as Sputnink News reports, [8] the US State Department addressed questions as to whether or not it was concerned that Canada's new government may not support US foreign policy regarding IS presence in Afghanistan.
"These are all decisions the Canadian people have to make and Canadian legislators have to make... and their Prime Minister [has to make]," department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
"We have stood shoulder to shoulder with Canadian armed forces…in Iraq and Afghanistan," he added.
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While this move seems like a hope-y and change-y step forward, the lack of timeline leaves plenty of room for the neocons to knock on Trudea's door and shower gifts on an economy floundering on the verge of "Emerging Market" status (as HSBC analysts warned).
