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Greens: Iraq mission "expensive and stupid"

Author
Felix Marwick, Newstalk ZB Staff ,
Publish Date
Mon, 25 May 2015, 6:47AM
NZDF troops in desert camouflage uniform (Getty Images)
NZDF troops in desert camouflage uniform (Getty Images)

Greens: Iraq mission "expensive and stupid"

Author
Felix Marwick, Newstalk ZB Staff ,
Publish Date
Mon, 25 May 2015, 6:47AM

Updated 8.41am: The Government's under fire over the cost of sending Kiwi troops to Iraq.

All up the total estimated cost of the two year deployment will be approximately $65 million.

And the NZDF has declared it has cost just shy of $1.3 million to deploy the 143 personnel to Taji Airbase.

It estimates it costs more than $2.7 million a month to cover the cost of mission, and none of the expenses is being paid for by the Iraqi government.

Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman's calling it expensive and a waste.

"I think spending $65 million to be part of a war of endless violence in the Middle East - it's only going to beget more violence - it seems to me extremely stupid. I mean it's a stupid thing to do but it's an expensive stupid thing to do."

Mr Norman may have common ground with US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, who is accusing Iraqi forces of failing to fight in Ramadi, where Islamic State jihadists have taken over.

He said the city fell because they lacked the will to defend themselves.

"They were not outnumbered, in fact they vastly outnumbered the opposing force. And yet, they failed to fight and withdrew."

Ashton Carter believes there's little use equipping Iraqi soldiers, if they won't fight.

But our Prime Minister says there's a lot of dispute over territory, and they've probably gained more than they've lost.

"Putting that all to one side, doesn't that actually make the point that if you don't want Iraq to fall to ISIL, ultimately what you have to do is make sure they can defend themselves."

Iraqi government troops have recently launched a counter-attack on Islamic State fighters near Ramadi.

CNN's Arwa Damon reports they're being backed by Iranian Shia para-military forces, and Sunni tribesman are holding the ground.

"They are however only armed with very light weapons and they would not necessarily be able to repel a significant ISIS offensive."

Arwa Damon says with such a force there's additional challenges with communication on the battlefield.

And reports are filtering through that Islamic State has executed 400 people in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra since taking it over last week. The UN says 11,000 people have fled.

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