Govt needs to stop support for US drone strikes

The Key Government needs to stop providing the United States with intelligence that may result in the death of New Zealand citizens in drone strikes, Green Party Defence spokesperson Dr Kennedy Graham said today.

Dr Graham today questioned the Prime Minister in Parliament on the NZ Government’s support for the US predator drone-strikes programme. The Prime Minister ruled out instructing New Zealand’s intelligence agencies to set protocols around information it provides to the United States and its drone strike programme.

“John Key’s answers today in the House show the Key Government asks for no checks and balances when sharing information with the United States,” Dr Graham said.

“Other countries such as Germany have set conditions on the information they give the United States in the wake of drone strikes that have resulted in German casualties.

“At present the NZ Government is a willing accomplice to potential extra-judicial killings that the United States carries out in its predator drone strikes.

“It is simply not good enough for our Government to provide the United States with information that it then uses to target its enemies in countries the New Zealand Government is not at war with.

“It is also unacceptable that our Prime Minister has no idea whether or not the information his intelligence agencies supply to the United States has resulted in civilian casualties in drone strikes.

“The Government needs to realise that it does not have carte blanche to drag New Zealand into American drone wars.

“The Key Government needs to stop this flow of deadly information now,” Dr Graham said.

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