OTTAWA — The country's top military commander says he didn't anticipate special forces troops would be guiding air strikes for Kurdish fighters when he gave public assurances about the mission last fall.
Gen. Tom Lawson, the chief of defence staff, was put on the spot before a House of Commons committee on Thursday as MPs debated the question of whether the operations of the elite troops can be considered combat.
Lawson was crystal clear last fall when asked in a television interview whether the troops, as part of their advisory role, would accompany pershmerga fighters to the front and assist in U.S.-led coalition air strikes.
He said they wouldn't, but with the revelations troops have played that role on at least 13 occasions Lawson was forced to concede the mission had "evolved."
Lawson denied that special forces are involved in combat, saying they are assisting the Iraqis in their combat mission and only use their weapons in a defensive manner.
Both the opposition NDP and Liberals didn't buy the argument.
