Demand for NZ soldiers' withdrawal from Iraq

By SCOTT MacLEOD


Peace groups are demanding that Defence Force engineers be pulled out of Iraq amid claims they are playing an occupation role.

The 60 engineers are in Basra to fix schools, roads and bridges shattered by British and United States invasion forces.

But author Nicky Hager yesterday said he had papers which proved they were helping British troops on duties which supported the US-led occupation.

The Government denied the claims, saying security work done by the engineers was normal procedure to ensure their own safety.

Hager said six of the engineers were helping British soldiers fix military vehicles, one was with a British combat boat crew, and four officers were at a British military headquarters' in Basra and Shaibah.

Others had spent time building defensive walls, road barriers and fortifications.

Hager quoted a defence memo as saying the officer appointments "will not only give us a say in how our people are employed, it will give us high visibility on the ground and earn us huge gratitude from the Brits".

Hager's book Seeds of Distrust sparked a genetic modification scandal before the last election.

Yesterday he used the memo to back his assertion that the engineers were in Iraq to impress the British and Americans.

Green MP Keith Locke accused the Government of deception, saying "New Zealanders thought they were just helping rebuild bridges and schools".

Anti-war group Global Peace and Justice Auckland said the reconstruction role was "a thinly disguised lie".

The group backed Mr Locke's demand that the engineers be withdrawn.

National Party defence spokesman Simon Power said that if Hager's information was correct then Prime Minister Helen Clark had deliberately downplayed the engineers' role.

He and Mr Locke were concerned about the engineers' rules of engagement, which Hager said let them use deadly force to defend "designated people" and British military areas.

Helen Clark's office referred calls to Defence Minister Mark Burton, who said the engineers were not working on combat vehicles.

They were maintaining British pool vehicles, such as Land Rovers and Bedford trucks, which were being used by the New Zealand engineers.

The engineer working with a British boat crew was maintaining outboard motors on small boats used to fix bridges and pontoons.

The "Brits' gratitude" memo was the opinion of one person, and not of the Government.

"As for the building of fortifications and strengthening of defences, that is the compound they sleep and live in," Mr Burton said.

"That's entirely appropriate, because they have to provide their own security."

Govt v Hager

Government says NZ troops in Iraq to help with reconstruction.

Author Nicky Hager claims New Zealand soldiers are instead helping the occupation force.

He claims a defence memo indicates New Zealanders are there to impress Britain and US.


Herald Feature: Iraq