143 Troops, Possible SAS Deployment, Legalities Unsorted: PM’s Statement On ISIL

Mr Speaker, today I am announcing to the House the Government’s decisions about our contribution to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL...

ISIL’s ability to motivate Islamist radicals make it a threat not only to stability in the Middle East, but regionally and locally too. More>>

ALSO:

• Image: Multimedia report - Press Conference: Chief of Defence Force, PM on Iraq Plans
• Parliament Today - MPs Debate Iraq Military Deployment
• Parliament Today - Debate On Iraq Deployment Completed - Debate On Islamic State
• NZ Govt - PM announces contribution to coalition against ISIL - Government approves NZDF training mission to Iraq - NZ boosts diplomatic efforts to counter ISIL
• Labour - John Key wrong about Labour’s war vote - Reply to PM’s statement on deploying troops to Iraq
• NZ First - Was Our Knowledge of Iraq Deployment Too Much for Gerry? - Stepping into War without a Mandate
• Peace Action Wellington - We say “No NZ support"
• NZ Catholic Bishops - We can no longer watch immense suffering from sidelines
• NZ Christian Network - Call to pray for New Zealand troops
• TEAR Fund - Aid Shouldn’t Be Second Priority to Military Intervention
• Emirates Airlines - Emirates to restart flights to Baghdad from Sunday
• UN - Iraq: UN report documents human rights violations
• TV3 Video - Iraq brings out 'raw emotion' in Parliament - Little: Doesn't take 'guts' to boss troops around - Legal protection for NZ troops ambivalent - Key: Sending NZ troops to Iraq the 'right decision' - Kiwi troops Iraq training already begun - NZ to send non-combat force to Iraq
• Martin Doyle - Martin Doyle Cartoon: Get some guts

Iraq: Ex-Hostage Says Government Not Putting NZers, Iraqis First

Harmeet Singh Sooden is travelling to Iraq in the coming weeks to work with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) on a short-term assignment. More>>

ALSO:

• Image 2006 Yasmine Ryan - Scoop Images: Harmeet Sooden Talks About Captivity
• Christian Peacemaker Team - Ex-Hostage Returning to Iraq amid Current Crisis - Former Hostage Harmeet Sooden Returns To Iraq - Q&A
• The Nation - Lisa Owen interviews a British foreign fighter - Patrick Gower interviews John Key - Lisa Owen interviews Julie Bishop
• TVNZ - Q+A: PM John Key - "NZ more at risk from doing nothing" - Phil Goff Interview On TV One’s Q+A : "It doesn’t take guts"
• NZ Govt - Joint Statement by Prime Ministers Tony Abbott and John Key
• Peace Movement Aotearoa - No military deployment in Iraq: Nationwide peace vigils
• WagePeaceNZ - Invade Mexico for Guacamole Reserves Instead
• Keith Rankin - Thought for the Day: Addressing the Islamic State
• Leslie Bravery - NZ's timid silence at the Security Council
• Tom Peters - New Zealand to send troops to Iraq
• John Chuckman - The Grand Illusion
• David Swanson - ISIS Derangement Syndrome
• TV3 Video - UK foreign fighter: Arm Kurdish forces against IS - How a quiet kid turned into 'Jihadi John' - Leadership woes overshadow Abbott visit
• Out-Link - Reading the Maps: New Zealand and the war against ISIS: a lesson from 1885
• Out-Link - Toby Manhire: There are many ways to show guts - Opinion - NZ Herald News

Gordon Campbell: On The Drip-Feeding Of Information About The Iraq Deployment

There are two ways of framing the story of our troop deployment in Iraq. They go roughly like this:

The Official Version : We are going to Iraq solely to train Iraqis. We will not be engaged in combat against the Islamic State. Our troops will be safely behind the wire at all times.

The Alternative Version: Besides training the Iraqis, some of our forces will be engaged in intelligence gathering, which – among other things – will involve identifying targets for air strikes and providing the co-ordinates to increase the accuracy and effectiveness of bombing raids. This is highly dangerous work... More>>

Gordon Campbell: On Whether NZ Troops Are The Least Of Islamic State’s Problems

Given that it has been politically packaged and sold as a training mission, the Iraq deployment announced yesterday by Prime Minister John Key seemed to be mysteriously short of actual trainers... The other wing of the argument is whether a troop deployment is (a) the only effective way and (b) the appropriate time to combat Islamic State. More>>

ALSO:

• Out-Link - Haphazardly to war • Hard News • Public Address
• Parliament Today - Debate On Islamic State
• Gordon Campbell - Gordon Campbell on the announcement on sending our troops to Iraq
• Jeremy Wilkinson - Post-Cabinet Press Conference on NZ’s Involvement in Iraq
• NZ Govt - PM welcomes Australian Prime Minister
• NZ First - PM Confused in Sending Troops And Refusing a Vote - Last Ditch Appeal for NZ to Stay Out of Middle East Conflict
• Peter Dunne - Do all roads still lead to Baghdad? Dunne Speaks
• Council for International Development - NZ urged to increase aid funding for Iraq and Syria
• Valerie Morse - 100 years of invading Iraq
• Peace Action Wellington - Anti-War Rally at the Cenotaph 26/2
• Binoy Kampmark - Tony Abbott and the Islamic State: The Case for Removing the Fantasist-in-Chief
• TV3 Video - Iraq deployment decision looming - Govt reviews insider attack risk in Iraq - Govt to announce Iraq decision tomorrow - Video: Brownlee's bungles over Iraq troop deployment - Turkey evacuates historic tomb threatened by IS - Govts scramble to stop people joining IS - US readies for Mosul assault - Western govts target IS via social media - UK girls sneak away to IS in Syria
• The Atlantic Out-Links - What ISIS Really Wants - How Readers Are Responding to The Atlantic's Cover Story
• Out-Link - What The Atlantic Gets Dangerously Wrong About ISIS And Islam | ThinkProgress

Gordon Campbell: On Labour’s Latest Stance On Iraq
Labour leader Andrew Little has expressed his support for air strikes in Iraq against Islamic State – and by doing so, he may have unwittingly undermined Labour’s opposition to a military response from New Zealand. More>>

ALSO:

• TV3 Video - Govt needs to show it's ready for IS conflict - expert - Govt quiet on protecting Kiwi troops in Iraq
• U.S. Department of State - Information Sharing to Counter Foreign Terrorist Fighters

'General Invitation' To Assist Iraq: NZ Signs Up To Failed War Strategies - Greens
The National Government is repeating a failed strategy by committing troops to the latest phase of the on-going Iraqi conflict said the Green Party today. More>>

ALSO:

• Gordon Campbell - On how Iraq’s visiting Foreign Minister embodies an Iraq that’s not worth fighting for - On the government’s reluctance to treat the enemies of Islamic State as its friends
• UN News - Resolution targeting sources of financing for ISIL
• TV3 Video - Iraq to formally request troops - Could Kiwi troops fight with United States in Iraq?

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