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Iraq: New Zealand Shares the Shame


New Zealand Shares the Shame

New Zealand’s participation in Iraq becomes more shameful and less tenable by the day.

Just how bad will American and UK brutish behaviour have to get before our government is prepared to pull the plug on New Zealand troops supporting the US/UK illegal occupation of Iraq.

Over the past month these “liberators” have –

  • Treated Iraqi prisoners with the kind of abuse our New Zealand government would call depraved and barbarian in any other situation
  • Tortured and murdered prisoners of war
  • Conducted a medieval siege of Falujah which has killed many hundreds of civilians
  • Restored Saddam Hussein’s thuggish commanders to subdue popular resistance to foreign occupation
  • Employed thousands of mercenaries – unaccountable to anyone
  • America’s sick obsession with “full spectrum dominance” is the most dangerous threat in the world today. By aligning ourselves with it New Zealand must share the shame and the blame.

    Last year Global Peace and Justice Auckland wrote to the Prime Minister asking for action over the murder of two Afghani prisoners at Bagram airforce base in northern Afghanistan where New Zealand has military personnel stationed. Helen Clark was dismissive in her response and refused to raise this issue with the US. Had the Clark government acted then it may well have short-circuited the appalling situation which has finally made the headlines.

    Instead we are still holding the playground bully’s jacket and lunchbox as he pounds, humiliates and murders his hapless victims.

    It was a grave mistake to commit troops to the occupation – now is the time to bring them home.


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