Canadian diplomats stalled negotiations on freeing four children abducted by their father and taken to Iraq because they wanted to first wait for a legal opinion on whether they could hold discussions with the terrorist organization sheltering the group. Saren Azer said in Iran that his children are safe and happy and he supervises their learning. By October, Canadian diplomats knew the precise location of Azer and the four Canadian children but wanted to get a legal opinion on the ramifications of discussing with PKK officials the return of the youngsters. By the time that opinion came earlier this year, Azer had fled to Iran with the children. Dr. Saren Azer originally fled to northern Iraq in August 2015 and was living in territory controlled by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party terrorist group, better known as the PKK.

Source: National Post June 02, 2016 21:56 UTC