Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

New Zealand Defence Personnel Conclude Mission At Taji

Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today.

“New Zealand is very pleased to have fulfilled its commitment to the Iraqi Government and the Defeat-ISIS Coalition to train Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) at Taji. Significant progress has been made in containing the threat from ISIS, and to ensure that the ISF are well placed to take over this commitment,” said Mr Peters.

“Since December we have had 45 personnel in Taji. All of those 45 personnel have now left the Taji military base and are either back in New Zealand or returning to New Zealand. 28 personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in Auckland. The remainder will be returning later this week,” said Mr Mark.

“Alongside their Australian counterparts, New Zealand troops have been delivering training to the ISF at Taji since 2015. They have worked hard to ensure that the ISF has the capability to prevent the resurgence of ISIS in the area. Over 47,000 ISF personnel have been trained at Taji since the inception of the BPC mission,” said Mr Mark.

New Zealand’s military involvement in Iraq since 2015 has been part of our broader contribution to the Defeat-ISIS Coalition. The Government has decided to maintain an ongoing military contribution to this Coalition.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“This decision recognises the enduring threat that a resurgent ISIS poses to global security, including towards New Zealand and New Zealanders abroad. Now more than ever New Zealand needs to be working with our partners in order to help keep our people safe,” said Mr Peters.

“New Zealand currently deploys four NZDF personnel to Coalition Headquarters in Iraq and Kuwait, and five operational support roles based in Qatar. The mandate for these roles has been extended until June 2022,” said Mr Mark.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.