Troops Are Training in Waiouru for Iraq

Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence have potentially misled Parliament that the government has not instructed the Defence Force to prepare for deployment in Iraq. New Zealand First sources have revealed that troops knew as early as mid-November that they are entering pre-deployment training for Iraq.

“The Minister of Defence maintains that there was no preparation by the Defence Force for a new mission, has suggested that only ten officers were involved and that there’s no training underway at Waiouru. He’s mistaken our sources tell us,” Ron Mark, New Zealand First Defence spokesperson says.

“We have been told that a company sized force of up to 150 personnel from 2nd/1st and1 Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment with a logistics component, is now in Waiouru completing the first phase of pre-deployment training.

“When I suggested to Minister Brownlee it must then be a rogue commander and a rogue unit that is training, the Minister condescendingly replied my contacts ‘were a bit too long in the tooth to be reliable.’

“Sadly, New Zealand First knows more about what’s going on than the Minister, or what the Minister is prepared to publicly share with the New Zealand public.

“It is disappointing that the Minister and the Prime Minister are refusing to be open and honest about committing our forces to a war in the Middle East instead of playing down the clock until Parliament lifts for the year. Come on, be honest with Parliament and the people.

“Our concerns are for the troops who have been given an anticipated deployment at the end of February or early March 2015. What doesn’t sit right is that the troops were warned of this possible deployment mid-November and yet the Minister still denies it.

“Our Defence Force members and their families over Christmas, should at the very least be given honesty around whatever deals the Prime Minister has struck with other countries.

“Something is going on at Waiouru, and it looks very like pre deployment training for Iraq,” says Mr Mark.

ENDS

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