Iran-US tensions

Kerry Bateman Nelson, January 15

Gangs

Once again we hear about the unsavoury intimidation behaviour of so-called ‘‘gang members’’ at a North Island popular camping ground, and hear that the National Party will introduce a policy to sort them out. That will be a vote catcher for sure, but what we need to know before the election is what exactly the details of that policy will be.

Over the years, as gangs have built up their numbers, there has been all sorts of sabre-rattling by various governments saying that they will get tough on gangs. However, the latest membership numbers suggest that, if anything, governments have gone soft on gangs.

The major issues around criminal behaviour, drug dealing etc must not be tolerated any longer, and we as law-abiding citizens want to see no more hollow promises from the politicians, but rather some definite action to get it

In 1988, the United States Navy ship Vincennes shot down an Iran Air passenger flight between Bandar Abbas and Dubai, killing all 290 people on board. Sound familiar? The US government never apologised for this.

I am surprised that our present enlightened Government thinks it is appropriate for New Zealand troops to remain in Iraq, given the Trump brinkmanship taking place there. These guys were sent to fulfil John Key’s ‘‘Have some guts!’’ message in support of the US territorial claims in the Middle East.

Unlike Afghanistan, there are no unarmed civilians for our brave boys to shoot in Iraq, only residents angry about US troops and their allies, whom the locals view as invaders.