Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is on a covert trip to Iraq to discuss Canada’s role in the fight against ISIS, but the secrecy ended when Iraqi officials posted footage of his visit to YouTube, CTV News has learned.
Ottawa had asked the Iraqi government to keep Sajjan’s visit quiet.
Sajjan met his Iraqi counterpart and Kurdish officials Monday in Baghdad, where the city continues to mourn nearly 200 people killed in a suicide bombing last week.
It’s the second visit Sajjan has made to the country since become defence minister. He’s expected to return to Canada at the end of this week.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter was also in Baghdad on Monday. He announced the U.S. will deploy another 560 soldiers as Iraq prepares for a major offensive against ISIS to retake the city of Mosul.
The soldiers will travel to Qayara air base, 40 kilometres south of Mosul, and help turn it into a staging area for Iraqi forces.
"These additional U.S. forces will bring unique capabilities to the campaign and provide critical enabler support to Iraqi forces at a key moment in the fight," Carter said.
Mosul has been occupied by ISIS for about two years.
With a report by CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier
