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Iraq troop deployment sets up New Zealand as terrorist target: gov't advice

Xinhua, April 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand government is advised that its military deployment to help fight Islamic State insurgents might well fail, according to a heavily redacted Cabinet paper released by opposition lawmakers Wednesday.

Defense spokesperson for the main opposition Labour Party, Phil Goff, issued the paper just a day after the main force of New Zealand troops left for Iraq.

The paper warned that given the failure of United States and NATO efforts to train the Iraqi army, the deployment of New Zealand trainers "may not achieve the desired results" while increasing the risk of New Zealand being targeted by the Islamic State.

It also pointed out that the effectiveness of the training would rely on collaboration with the Iraqi military and ignored the corrupt and incompetent nature of the Iraqi military leadership.

New Zealand was spending more than 30 million NZ dollars (23.11 million U.S. dollars) a year to deploy up to 143 troops, of which only 16 were specialized trainers, while spending less than 4 million NZ dollars (3.08 million U.S. dollars) on humanitarian assistance to help victims of the conflict.

Goff said the document also stated the role of 37 of the 143 troops was ambiguous, meaning some could become involved in " advise, assist and accompany" missions, and there was no guarantee against "mission creep."

"The release of this document with its extensive deletions simply highlights the obsessive secrecy of the government about its actions and the serious doubts that exist as to the appropriateness and effectiveness of the path it has chosen," Goff said in a statement.

Also Wednesday, Waikato University law and war specialist Professor Alexander Gillespie warned that New Zealand was stuck in the middle of a very complex problem by sending troops to Iraq, and increased the terrorism threat.

While the Islamic State was undoubtedly evil, trying to combat it was "like playing whack-a-mole -- you shut them down in one place and they pop up somewhere else," Gillespie said in a statement.

"We could end up fighting all over the world. I believe this is an issue that can only be solved through the United Nations." Endi