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Former Liberal MP Lloyd Axworthy says he was disappointed the Liberal Party chose not to back a government plan for Canada to join U.S.-led air strikes, as Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau faced questions about party divisions over the planned combat mission.

Speaking with The Globe and Mail by phone on Wednesday, Mr. Axworthy said he thinks its important that the international community intervene to prevent further atrocities against civilians by Islamic State militants. The former foreign affairs minister and long-time parliamentarian is currently working on foreign policy issues as a resident of the Bellagio Center, part of the Rockefeller Foundation, in Italy.

Mr. Axworthys comments came one day after Liberal MP Irwin Cotler announced he would abstain from a Parliamentary vote on the combat mission in Iraq. A Conservative majority in the House of Commons ensured that the motion to send fighter jets and more than 600 personnel to the region would pass easily, even though all opposition NDP and Liberal MPs who were present voted against the motion.

Asked if he was disappointed by the Liberal decision to vote against the mission, Mr. Axworthy replied, Yes, I was. He called the government decision a useful step that should also be accompanied by long-term support for rebuilding Iraq and Syria and said he didnt know the rationale behind the Liberal decision to vote against the combat mission.

I was concerned, and I was surprised at the [Liberal] decision to be honest, because traditions and the history and the principles I think of the party were very much centred I think on this idea that part of our mandate, nationally, is to help protect innocent people, he said. And Im surprised that was not given the kind of weight that it should have been.

In the lead-up to the vote, the Liberals said the government had not done enough to make the case for a Canadian combat mission. And both the opposition NDP and the Liberals called for a greater focus on humanitarian aid instead.

Ahead of the vote on Tuesday, Mr. Trudeau told reporters that the Liberal Party will be clearly voting against [the government motion] in a unanimous way.

However, Mr. Cotlers decision to deliberately abstain hurt the Liberal Partys efforts to present a united front against the government. After a caucus meeting on Wednesday, Mr. Trudeau altered his statement to reflect the divisions in party ranks, pointing to both the positions of Mr. Axworthy and Mr. Cotler.

The Liberal Party voted clearly against the governments motion last night, Mr. Trudeau said.

He explained Mr. Colters decision by pointing out that the human-rights lawyer has long advocated air strikes in Syria.

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Liberals should support air strikes in Iraq, ex-minister Axworthy says