The Government has announced it will not send combat troops to Iraq.
However, it is sending 10 military planners to the Middle East to determine whether New Zealand can play a role in training Iraqi troops to fight Islamic State.
The team members, none of which are from Special Forces, will gather information from allied bases in the region and report back to ministers.
Prime Minister John Key Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
In a speech to the Institute of International Affairs in Wellington this morning, Prime Minister John Key ruled out sending any troops into combat roles in Iraq.
“It’s what we're good at and we have a proven track record of doing such work in Afghanistan. Should New Zealand personnel be deployed in Iraq they would be behind the wire and limited to training local forces to counter ISIL and legitimately protect innocent people.”