Iraq mission extension case not made
Andrew Little
Leader of the
Opposition
MEDIA STATEMENT
20 June 2016
Iraq mission extension case not
made
The Prime Minister has not made the case for extending the Iraq deployment another 18 months nor the expansion of their mission, says Opposition Leader Andrew Little.
“Labour originally opposed the deployment because the Iraqi Army’s track record was poor, even after years of training by the American and other armies. Having visited Camp Taji, my view on this has not changed.
“It was always obvious that the Iraq deployment would not be complete within the two years originally set for the mission, and the Prime Minister has not been open with the public about the demands being made on our troops by Coalition allies.
“Today in his post cabinet briefing Key could not even confirm the troops would be home in 18 months. He has not been straight with New Zealanders, nor has he made the case for mission creep. He owes it New Zealanders to explain why we’re committing our forces to an ongoing volatile theatre of war.
“When I visited the troops in Taji I saw for myself the hard work our troops doing and the harsh conditions they face daily. Regardless of our position on the deployment, they continue to have our full support for the work they do,” says Andrew Little.