Columns

A fter 12 years and $25 billion dollars spent by the US government on this war to date, John Key thinks deploying 140 New Zealand troops will make a measurable impact in Iraq. I, along with others, am sceptical.

New Zealand lacks the capacity for air-strikes, which are considered the most effective military intervention against Islamic State (IS, ISIL). IS’s track record of grotesque and inhumane treatment of its enemies is beyond dispute. But wishful thinking will not halt its progress.

Key says the National government is sending New Zealand troops into a conflict zone for the purpose of training soldiers, because Iraq requested that kind of assistance. This is half-true.

Labour Party leader Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs spokesperson David Shearer spoke with the Iraqi Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim al-Jaafari on the same day he met with Key. Dr Jaafari said that civilian support would be equally as welcome as military. It is up to New Zealand to decide what form our contribution will take. Dr Jaafari suggested we could make a meaningful difference in areas like reconstruction, training, humanitarian support, logistics, capacity building and agricultural support.

Having led a UN reconstruction in Iraq, David Shearer says Iraqis are very sensitive about “boots on the ground” by foreign militaries. They reject large numbers of foreign troops and have ruled out military bases being established by other countries. Dr Jaafari was direct: Iraq did “not want direct interference on the ground.”

So why is New Zealand sending troops? Well, for the first time ever, America and Australia have been negotiating the terms of engagement directly with Iraq on our behalf. New Zealand was not involved. The US, UK and Australian populations aren’t convinced there’s a case for war, and their politicians are seeking multi-lateral involvement as cover for the position they’ve taken.

So we’re about to send young New Zealanders to military roles in Iraq not because we’ve decided it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes other countries’ politicians look good. With this much sovereignty ceded, we’re left to wonder: What happened to New Zealand’s proudly independent foreign policy? A convincing case for focusing our $30 million contribution on military assistance hasn’t been made.

The last thing we should be doing is sending young New Zealand military personnel into a country where they are barely wanted, needed or valued.