Mark mulls over Iraq mission
New Zealand’s defence minister says the Kiwi mission in Iraq could continue in a different form beyond its November end-date.
The Government is yet to confirm whether the deployment will continue but Ron Mark says New Zealand won’t leave Iraq high and dry. The mission, known as Operation Manawa, was announced in February 2015 and the first main deployment headed over in May that year. The primary purpose of the mission was to train Iraqi soldiers and Federal Police personnel, for their fight against Isis.
In 2016, the Government decided to extend the mission – beyond the initial end date of May 2017.
The last deployment under this mandate left for training in Australia last month. Since 2015, more than 700 NZDF troops have been deployed to Iraq.
Mark said he was yet to take a proposal to Cabinet, which would then determine whether the mission would be extended and if so, what form it would take. However, it is understood two further rotations worth of New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel, are continuing to train and prepare in case the mission is extended.
Even if it is not, it is likely some troops would continue to be deployed during the transition, or pull-out phase.
Mark said there was no doubt Iraq wanted New Zealand to stay on, as did the Australian Defence Force.
Cabinet would have to decide by September, and Mark would not be drawn on whether he would like to see Kiwi troops stay. There was a range of options but New Zealand troops would not drop tools and leave, he said.
Before pulling out, New Zealand would have to give the Iraq Government notice, as well as its coalition forces at Camp Taji, near Baghdad.
‘‘If the Cabinet decision was that we aren’t going to continue in this role, then it might well be a question of what role are we going to continue in?’’ New Zealand might end up helping in a different capacity – civilian, NGO, or working with police – to help rebuild the country.
‘‘It’s been munted,’’ he said of Iraq. It would cost $100 billion to rebuild infrastructure alone, then there were services and government agencies that needed rebuilding.
‘‘It might well be that there’s a different role New Zealand might be asked to play.’’
Or NZDF may continue in its defence force training capacity, Mark said. ‘‘The future of their defence forces will be determined by the level of professionalism, by their leadership, and the degree at which they have cleansed themselves from perceptions of corruption and nepotism.’’ New Zealand would not be there if it was not wanted and needed, Mark said.
A briefing from the Ministry of Defence and NZDF to Mark from last year, hinted troops may be on the ground past November. ‘‘As the security situation in Iraq remains dynamic, New Zealand’s deployment will remain a key focus in the foreseeable future,’’ the briefing said. In February, it was revealed the NZDF had expanded its mandate to carry out training beyond the confines of Camp Taji, and to act in an advise-and-assist capacity to the Iraqi forces.
These changes happened without the public being told.
Since last year, NZDF soldiers have moved beyond a purely training role, taking up new responsibilities to help Iraqi forces plan and conduct military operations.
New Zealand soldiers were also training Iraqi forces at camps beyond the confines of Camp Taji.
While the Government had revealed some of this information in the past, it had not told the public training was also happening at Qayyarah West Airfield, 60 kilometres from Mosul.
A research article in a NZ Army Journal publication from February, warned of the potential media or reputational risk to the NZDF by conducting advise-and-assist as part of the mission.
SINAI
The Government is also yet to make a decision about whether to continue to send troops to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
New Zealand is part of a multinational force observing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
New Zealand has had troops in Sinai since 1982. The current mandate is due to expire in July.
Other missions across Africa and the Middle East, including South Sudan, Israel and Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also due to end this year.