Coming summer big test for Iraqi government post-ISIL: Canadian commander
OTTAWA — Five years after Canadian troops arrived in Iraq to help fight Islamic State militants, a different battle is looming — one that could determine whether the region is able to finally turn the page on years of war and bloodshed.
That battle, however, won’t be fought with bullets and missiles. It is a political fight, which Canada’s top commander in the region believes could be decided in the coming months based on the actions of Iraq’s government.
“This summer will be pretty important to them, honestly, as they move out of the wet season and into the dry season,” Brig.-Gen. Colin Keiver, the commander of Joint Task Force-Iraq, said in an interview Thursday.
“The rolling electrical blackouts, potential water shortages, things like that, this will be a big test for the government of Iraq in terms of how they react and how they respond to the needs of their citizens.”