The National Government is repeating a failed strategy by committing troops to the latest phase of the on-going Iraqi conflict said the Green Party today.
The National Government is repeating a failed strategy by committing troops to the latest phase of the on-going Iraqi conflict said the Green Party today.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Dr Ibraham al-Ja'afari, today formally requested New Zealand troops to engage in the war in Iraq.
“John Key is signing New Zealanders up to a failed strategy in Iraq if he sends troops,” said Green Party global affairs spokesperson Dr Kennedy Graham.
“We would be going into someone else’s war with almost nothing to add to its conclusion but with enormous risk to the safety of our troops and the safety of New Zealanders around the world.
“The United States wasn’t able to train the Iraqi army in over 10 years; we must ask ourselves what can the New Zealand army do that the US couldn’t.
“New Zealand needs to focus its energy into the most effective channel to conclude the war, which at the moment is diplomatic avenues given our seat on the Security Council.
“There is plenty of evidence Saudi Arabia is channelling funds to ISIL, but yet Todd McClay was in Saudi Arabia this week strengthening our trade ties with them.
“It will be much more effective if we use diplomatic effort to try to stop the funding and arms flow to ISIL, because this will be the most effective in stopping ISIL.
“Standing up to Saudi Arabia’s support of ISIL would be better than sending our troops.
“Committing troops to Iraq, even in a training capacity, will inevitably mean combat for them and putting New Zealand lives in a risky and dangerous operation,” said Dr Graham.
