MEDIA STATEMENT FROM KIA ORA GAZA. WEDNESDAY 11 APRIL 2012

Website: kiaoragaza.net

Seeking Peace Or Planning for War?

As a team of 4 Kiwis travel on an international good-will mission to war-ravaged Gaza this month, New Zealand's armed forces will be conducting combat-focused joint exercises with the US military - the first in 27 years.

These exercises follow Foreign Minister Murray McCully's meeting with top NATO commander, US Admiral Jim Stavridis in the beehive today, with Afganistan tipped to be the main issue.

"At the same time as Kiwis seek a peaceful solution in the Middle East, is our government planning to get us more deeply enmeshed in more wars in the region, while the US and Israel ratchet up tensions to attack Iran?" Kia Ora Gaza spokesperson Roger Fowler asks.

Roger and the Kia Ora Gaza team of volunteers will join the Viva Palestina Arabia international humanitarian convoy to besieged Gaza this month. The convoy will be led by UK legislator and peace campaigner George Galloway. The NZ team departs for London on 19 April, to link up with the cavalcade of aid-packed trucks and vans driving across Europe aiming to break the illegal blockade and arrive in Gaza in 15 May.

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Reference: NZ Herald 11 April 2012: 'Military combat exercise with US first for 25 years'

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