A major role?

Conservative MP James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake) was interviewed Feb. 13 on CBC Radio's The House about the government's announcement to end Canadian airstrikes of ISIS targets by Feb. 22, and triple the number of training forces.

He told host Chris Hall, “but ultimately, Canada has played a major role as part of the air combat mission."

A major role? Does Bezan not know the difference between major and minor?

When host Hall reminded Bezan that Canada's 6 CF-18 jets amounted to only 2% of the coalition's aircraft missions, Bezan fired back. "It's more than 2% actually. If you actually look in the last few months, it's been closer to 5%.”

The fact remains that Canada's contribution of CF-18's in the fight against ISIS have been largely a symbolic mission.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May was right when she said in the House of Commons (Oct. 2014): "Without disrespect to any of us, bombings have never ended an Islamic or any religious extremist terrorist threat. Time after time it has made matters worse. Let us try to look to the lessons of history before we go to war again."

David Buckna