US Has Asked For Absolutely Nothing From NZ

18 October 2001

UNITED STATES HAS ASKED FOR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FROM NEW ZEALAND

United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne, says the Minister of Defence's admission in Parliament this afternoon that the United States has made no specific requests of New Zealand regarding military assistance in the war against terrorism shows how far the United States/New Zealand relationship has deteriorated.

In response to a question from Mr Dunne whether the United States had made any requests of New Zealand for specific military assistance, Mr Burton told the House that no such request had been received.

"This shows what little regard the United States has for New Zealand's capability and capacity to be part of the international war against terrorism, despite the warm, fuzzy words of the diplomats."

The fact that a former ally now no longer bothers to seek New Zealand's assistance, albeit in even a token sense, shows how low we have sunk in international esteem," Mr Dunne says.

Mr Dunne says New Zealand is clearly out of the loop, as far as the international war against terrorism is concerned, and now has a major fence-mending exercise on its hands to restore traditional relationships.

"The fact that the best the United States President is prepared to offer the New Zealand Prime Minister at this week's APEC meeting is only a 'significant pull-aside' rather than a formal meeting shows how distant our relationships have become, and clearly explains why the United States Government sees no value in making even a token request for assistance to New Zealand," he says.

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