The Government has clearly already decided to send troops to Iraq, the Labour Party says, and any claim otherwise is simply not honest, Radio New Zealand reports.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee yesterday announced he had granted permission for the Defence Force to undertake specific contingency training for a possible deployment to Iraq.
He said the training, which would take place at Linton and Waiouru, did not pre-empt any Cabinet decisions and that it would include force protection, cultural awareness and skills relevant to a possible deployment.
“Cabinet agreed on [November 3 last year] for up to 10 military planners to be deployed to determine whether New Zealand could play a role in helping the Iraqi Defence Force build capacity to fight Islamic State.
“While the team's work is not complete, I have accepted the Chief of Defence Force's request to begin specific training for a possible Building Partner Capacity role in Iraq.”
But Labour's Defence spokesperson, Phil Goff, said the pretence that no Government decision has been made just was not honest and he questioned what the New Zealand Defence Force could do that the Iraqi Army could not do for itself.
“Our efforts can do very little to help with the real problems of persistent corruption, deep sectarian divisions and poor leadership which lie behind the incompetence of the Iraqi Army.”
He says New Zealand would achieve more by providing humanitarian help to the millions of refugees caused by conflict in the region.