New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says the Government did consider sending the SAS to Iraq after a request from US Defence Secretary Ash Carter, but opted against what would have effectively been a combat role.
Mr Carter has thanked the Government for agreeing to extend its training deployment to Iraq after Mr Key's announcement yesterday and the New Zealand public for what Mr Carter said was its "staunch support" for the anti-Isis (Islamic State) coalition's efforts.
Prime Minister John Key announced yesterday he was extending the initial two-year deployment of 143 troops to Taji Military Camp for a further 18 months and the trainers in Taji would also train security forces responsible for holding the territory won back from Islamic State, such as Iraq's military police.
The decision to extend the deployment followed a letter from Mr Carter to New Zealand and the other 65 countries in the anti-IS coalition, requesting more help including special forces to work alongside Iraqi forces.
Mr Key said it was no secret that the United States had asked for the SAS, but he opted against it partly because the Iraqi Government did not want it.
"On the ground combat troops in an advise, assist and accompany role such as we had in Kabul is not something the Iraqis want."
In a statement, Mr Carter said he had discussed the matter with New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee at a meeting of the anti-IS coalition members in Stuttgart last month, saying it had to be a global undertaking because IS was a global threat.
"Expanding the resources dedicated to the fight allows the coalition to further accelerate the campaign. I am grateful to the Government of New Zealand and Minister Brownlee for the decision to take these meaningful actions and to the people of New Zealand for their staunch support in this fight."
The Prime Minister also hit back at Labour leader Andrew Little's criticism of the decision to extend the deployment, saying New Zealand could not sit back and let other countries do the work.
"If he is going to pull the troops out, then he has to answer the simple question I have to answer as Prime Minister, which is, 'Is it ok for us to do absolutely nothing. It is convenient to say New Zealand should expect every other country to do the heavy lifting', but I don't think it is where New Zealanders are at, John Key said.
"I don't think as a country ... that most New Zealanders would feel comfortable that we expected the Australians, the Americans, the Brits, the Canadians, the Germans and the French and so many other countries to take sole responsibility of protecting New Zealanders. We have to play some part there."
Mr Little said New Zealand should not be involved in training the Iraqi Army because it was ineffective. He said while there was a case to send the SAS as part of a United Nations-mandated mission, New Zealand was best placed to focus on reconstruction work and peacekeeping.
He said he would withdraw the troops if he was Prime Minister after the 2017 general election.
However, the Government would consider withdrawing the troops if there was a significant deterioration in safety.
- NZ Herald
