OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the federal government to impose “more severe sanctions” on Iran and to list the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization after the massive terrorist attack in Israel by Hamas, which is supported and funded by Tehran.
Poilievre made the comments in his first press conference since Israel faced the worst terror attack in its history and he blamed Hamas for the loss of lives on both sides.
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“We unreservedly condemn Hamas for this attack and our heart breaks for every loss of innocent life, Palestinian and Israeli,” he told reporters in Kelowna, B.C. “Let’s remember that every loss of life in this conflict is the direct consequence of Hamas’ conduct.”
“Hamas is a sadistic, genocidal, terrorist death cult and it must be stopped. Unfortunately, its evil and odious conduct is responsible for all the suffering that we witness right now,” he added.
Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, have said there is no question in his mind that Iran was involved in the Hamas attack. He told https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/very-clear-iran-involved-in-attacks-on-israel-canada-s-ambassador-to-the-un-says-1.6593803", "layout_section": "in-page-link"}">CTV News on Sunday that Iranians are actively supporting forces outside of their country that seek to destroy the state of Israel.
“Hezbollah is under the control of Iran, just as Hamas is,” he said. “This is a war that I firmly believe is being fuelled and directed … out of Iran.”
Iran has denied any direct involvement in Hamas’ attack, and U.S. intelligence suggests that https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/11/politics/us-intelligence-iran-hamas-doubt/index.html", "layout_section": "in-page-link"}">senior Iranian officials were caught by surprise this weekend. But Tehran is overall seen as complicit with the Palestinian group, having provided Hamas with funding, weapons and logistical support.
Poilievre said the federal government must “take action to counter Hamas any way we can,” including taking a firmer stance against Tehran.
“One way would be to impose more severe sanctions on Iran, which is the sponsor of Hamas, and to criminalize the IRGC, which is the terrorist arm of the Iranian government that co-ordinates support for Hamas and Hezbollah,” he said.
“Conservatives are calling for the Trudeau government to finally ban the IRGC so that Iran can no longer use our country to carry out its evil works.”
Founded in 1979 at the outset of the Islamic Revolution, the IRGC is a paramilitary force charged with preserving and advancing the regime’s Islamist values. The IRGC’s foreign operations arm, known as the Quds Force, trains, funds, and arms Iran’s terrorist proxies across the Middle East. The Quds Force is listed as a terror group in Canada, the IRGC in its entirety is not.
The Liberals have resisted calls to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization, even though they https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2018/06/13/canada-iran-house-of-commons-motion/", "layout_section": "in-page-link"}">backed a non-binding motion from the Conservatives in 2018 asking them to do just that.
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Instead, Canada has designated Iran as “a regime that has engaged in terrorism and in systematic breaches of human rights” under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and has sanctioned more than 10,000 senior Iranian officials, including the IRGC leadership.
The government claims it currently imposes https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4145", "layout_section": "in-page-link"}">“some of the toughest and most extensive sanctions on Iran in the world.”
Poilievre was also asked to react to Canada’s exclusion of a joint statement denouncing Hamas’ attacks on Israel that included five of the G7 countries known as the “Quint” group.
Federal officials https://nationalpost.com/news/ottawa-downplays-exclusion-from-allies-joint-statement-denouncing-hamas", "layout_section": "in-page-link"}">have downplayed the news, saying Canada was simply not asked to contribute to this statement because it is not part of this informal alliance which brings together states that either possess nuclear weapons or are part of a nuclear-weapon sharing program.
“Can we be honest? They don’t care what Justin Trudeau thinks. World leaders don’t take Justin Trudeau seriously. They think he’s a joke,” said Poilievre, who accused the prime minister of standing in a corner at international meetings “while the adults have serious conversations.”
“He has no idea what he’s talking about on matters of foreign policy and they’re tired of his pointless, meaningless virtue-signalling that’s backed up with no substance whatsoever,” he added.
“As long as Justin Trudeau is around, we’ll have no influence on the world stage.”
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/poilievre-calls-for-tougher-sanctions-on-iran-hamas-attacks
