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A chilling new terror threat targeting everyday shoppers has emerged as the Government prepares to sign up to the war in Iraq.
Prime Minister John Key will deliver a statement to Parliament this afternoon confirming the deployment of up to 100 troops to Iraq, including a contingent to train Iraqi soldiers, and combat soldiers to provide protection "behind the wire" at Camp Taji, near Baghdad.
The group will include logistics and intelligence personnel, likely to be based at the United States-run command headquarters.
The Government has been weighing up the deployment for months, including the possibility that it will put New Zealanders at risk from Islamic State (Isis).
Isis has previously urged its followers to attack the citizens of countries including Australia, Britain and the US for their involvement in Iraq.
But Key said yesterday that doing nothing was not an option. Lives of New Zealanders had been lost in every terrorist event around the world and most Kiwis were appalled at the barbaric actions of Isis and "would expect us to do something to stand up to them".
Video footage purported to come from Somalia's al Qaeda-linked rebel group, al-Shabaab, urged Muslim extremists to attack shopping malls in the US, Canada, Britain and other Western countries.
Westfield shopping centres were among those mentioned, though the video did not single out Australia or New Zealand.
Scentre Group, which operates 47 Westfield shopping centres in Australia and New Zealand, said it was taking steps to keep its shopping centres safe. "There is no evidence of an imminent threat but, as always, Scentre Group will take every available step to keep our shopping centres safe for staff, retailers and customers," it said.
Today's announcement is timed to coincide with an Australian Government announcement of 300 troops, also to provide training to Iraqi forces.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott flies into New Zealand on Friday for a meeting with Key where Iraq and the deployment will be high on the agenda.
But the Kiwi deployment will divide Parliament and also the nation, with the latest One News-Colmar Brunton opinion poll showing public opinion only narrowly in favour of joining the conflict.
Key confirmed yesterday he would not put the deployment to a vote in Parliament, in stark contrast to 2003 when Helen Clark sought Parliament's backing to send the SAS to Afghanistan.
A vote would almost certainly fail, with only ACT's David Seymour backing National over the deployment, and the rest of Parliament opposed.
Key said it was not convention to have a vote and the responsibility for sending troops rested solely with the executive.
Meanwhile, he offered a "guarantee" that the New Zealand soldiers would not be engaged in "active" combat.
He confirmed they would have a mandate to protect themselves in self-defence and that would allow the force protection unit to fire back. "But in principle if there was some firefight down the road and the Iraqis were being overpowered they couldn't go and assist that."
- The Dominion Post |
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