Program to arm Kurds will require controls, government says
OTTAWA — Canada wants “adequate controls” in place before sending arms to Kurdish forces in Iraq, as human rights groups warn that weapons supplied by the U.S. and other countries are contributing to war crimes.
The Liberal government said last February that Canada would give the Kurds small arms, ammunition and optical sights as part of its revamped mission to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The weapons will be purchased on the open market for a total of $9.5 million and are expected to include rifles, machine-guns and light mortars, though the government has not said how many of each or what type.
Defence officials indicated last month that the final obstacle to actually delivering the weapons had been cleared, after the central Iraqi government in Baghdad signed off on the plan.