U.K.'s Fallon says Canada 'absolutely not' snubbed at ISIS meeting

British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon denies that Canada was deliberately excluded from Wednesday's meeting in Paris of the coalition fighting ISIS.

U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and his defence minister colleagues from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Australia have assembled to form strategiesaroundtheir collective efforts againstIslamic State of Iraq and Syriaforces.

But CanadianDefence MinisterHarjitSajjanis not part of these Paris talks.

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Canadian aircraft are currently part of the bombing mission in Northern Iraq and Syria, although Justin Trudeau'sgovernment maintains it willkeep itselection pledge to withdraw its CF-18 fighter jets at an as-yet unspecified date.

Canadians are also on the ground in Northern Iraq in an advise and assist capacity, training Kurdish ground troops.

Is this exclusiona snub by partners upset about Canada's withdrawal?

"That's absolutely not the case," British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told CBC News on Wednesday.

He declined to criticize Canada's decision to pull back some of its forces,and said Canada is still committed to their shared mission.

"It is just as important to help with training, which the Canadians are doing. And in fact, the Canadians are reviewing their entire effort in Iraq and seeing how they can help best," Fallon said.

Fallon suggested today's meeting is focused on a plan tocut off supply lines, control centres and ISIS'seconomic base: in his words, "cut off the head of the snake."

At the cabinet retreat in New Brunswick earlier this week, Sajjandenied that Canada was being sidelined, saying"meetings happen all the time" and this event was one among many.

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