First New Zealand troops set to deploy to Iraq
Wednesday, 15 April 2015
The Government is copping criticism over a lack of transparency around deployment of New Zealand troops to Iraq, amid reports the first group left Australia on Wednesday afternoon.
New Zealand is sending up to 143 troops to train the Iraqi military as part of an international coalition to defeat Islamic State (Isil) - but the Government has refused to confirm whether they are deploying immediately alongside their Australian counterparts.
Twenty-six New Zealand troops and 59 Australians left Brisbane airport bound for the Middle East on Wednesday, Channel 7 reported.
The Australian Federal Cabinet on Tuesday signed off on that country deploying about 330 additional troops to Iraq, starting from Wednesday.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters in Canberra the force was expected to be operational by the middle of May.
The troops would work alongside the New Zealand military personnel, and be stationed at the Taji military base about 40 kilometres from Baghdad.
Abbott confirmed the mission was a training mission, not a combat mission.
New Zealand troops have been training in Australia ahead of deployment, which the Government previously announced would begin in May.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said Abbott's announcement confirmed the Building Partner Capacity Training Mission, which meant New Zealand troops would work with their Australian counterparts.
In a statement, Brownlee said the Australian decision did not alter the timeline previously announced by the New Zealand Government.
Further detail on the deployment of troops would not be provided 'in accordance with our policy on non-identification of personnel and for reasons of operational security,' Brownlee said.
Prime Minister John Key said the first detachment of New Zealand troops - a 'fraction' of the total deployment - would go 'soonish' but he would not confirm the date.
He said he would not name the exact date for security reasons, on the advice of the Defence Force.
'They don't go in one group of 106 people, they go in sub-groups of that.'
Asked if he could name the head of Isis, who the Australian Defence Minister had not been able to name, Key said: 'Look I'll get it wrong if I actually name his name - it's al-Jabiri something - but whatever I mean but yeah.'
The head is Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
Labour leader Andrew Little said there was a 'total lack of transparency' around what the New Zealand troops were doing.
'Most things we are not being told don't have security implications,' Little said.
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said it was unacceptable the Australian public was told when their troops went to war, but the New Zealand public were not.
'All other governments tell their citizens because of the importance of deployment, but instead of being transparent, the National government likes to hide behind the guise of security,' Norman said.
NZ First Defence spokesman Ron Mark said he was 'astonished' that the Government would not be upfront with New Zealand about when troops would be sent to Iraq.
It was 'total arrogance in the extreme', Mark said.
'This argument that they're trying to protect our troops is pathetically stupid, and it's an argument that treats New Zealanders as ignorant, stupid and nothing but a bunch of fools.'
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully returned from Iraq last month with assurances an agreement had been signed providing legal protection to New Zealand troops stationed there.
But Little said there was a lack of information about the exact nature of the arrangement which replaced a full Status of Forces agreement.
'If it had full legal immunity of prosecution for our troops then why hasn't the Government released it?
'The fact they haven't may mean it's a second class agreement.'
Mark agreed, and said it was critical the New Zealand troops had proper legal protections in place.
Should they be in a position where they shot and inadvertently killed someone while defending themselves, a Status of Forces agreement would protect them from facing murder charges in a Sharia court, Mark said.