NZ PM 'appalled' at Air NZ's Iraq troop flights

[MontyB]

I know about NZ as much as you know about Iran or Canada for that matter.

But ISAF is not part of the US led offensive against AQ. Only Australia, US and UK and to some extent the Netherlands are part of the actual combat Ops against AQ.

ISAF is a NATO mission approved by UN.

They are now part of the NATO mission but they only became part of it in 2006 prior to that they were part of the US mission.

NZ Troops in Afghanistan Transfer From US to NATO Led Missions

Minister of Defence Phil Goff: Media Statement
1 November 2006
New Zealand troops serving in Afghanistan transitioned from US to NATO led missions this week Defence Minister Phil Goff said today.
"The New Zealand personnel in Afghanistan, along with other forces deployed there, have formally become part of the NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), having previously been deployed under the US led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)", said Mr Goff.
"The change has had no noticeable impact on the day to day operations of our personnel. It is very much business as usual for New Zealand's Provincial Reconstruction (PRT) team in Bamyan Province", said Mr Goff.
"Some medical and logistics services for the PRT were provided by OEF. As a non-NATO nation, the primary concern for New Zealand in the lead up to the transition had been to ensure that those services provided by OEF would continue under ISAF.
"New Zealand and NATO agreed on the text for an exchange of letters to formalise these arrangements and this has just been signed off in Brussels.
"New Zealand has played a significant role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and our work in Bamyan is held in high regard. We will continue under NATO to carry out, through our PRT in Bamyan, the excellent work it has performed on a daily basis since 2003", said Mr Goff.

 

[Infern0]

Australian army won't use Air NZ again



Wellington, Aug 17 NZPA – Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will no longer use Air New Zealand "in any circumstances" after it sparked a foreign policy controversy.

The New Zealand Government is furious it was not told in advance that the national carrier would be used to ferry troops that were heading to Iraq to Kuwait.
The airline had told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about the plans but the information was not passed on.
Brisbane-based Strategic Aviation was the company contracted by the ADF to take the troops to Kuwait, but because one of its planes was in maintenance it paid Air NZ to carry the soldiers.
"This is an arrangement we have where we charter aircraft but if the New Zealand Government doesn't want us to charter Air New Zealand aircraft, that's fine," Mr Downer said.
"We'll find plenty of aircraft in the world to charter. I'm quite relaxed about it."
Mfat head Simon Murdoch has taken the blame for failing to inform the Government even though it was revealed yesterday that officials in the combined threat assessment group (CTAG) had seen security advice which referred to the flights but did not inform their ministers who included Prime Minister Helen Clark and Defence Minister Phil Goff.
Mr Murdoch was given a heads-up by Air NZ about the proposed June flights in mid-January and gave Air NZ initial advice there were no diplomatic or policy problems.
The flights are embarrassing for the Government which has always opposed the war in Iraq and has made political mileage out of accusing National of saying it would have sent troops.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters backed Mr Murdoch praising his integrity and accepting his apology but Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen expected the State Services Commission to take the incident into account when conducting Mr Murdoch's next performance review.
"I think this is a very serious error of judgement on Mr Murdoch's part," he told reporters.
State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble spoke to Mr Murdoch about his actions and said he would be held to account.
"I will also take into account the high standard he has shown in stepping forward to accept responsibility," Dr Prebble said.
"I am pleased with the leadership that Simon has shown."
This is the second recent case where public servants failed to tell ministers information they had.
Dr Prebble is currently conducting an investigation into the Madeleine Setchell affair where Environment Ministry head Hugh Logan failed to pass on relevant information and it was later revealed that Dr Prebble also knew the information.
Dr Cullen said Air NZ's decision to provide the charter flights was wrong but said they had sought advice from Mfat which was the body responsible.
"What is absolutely clear is that indeed ministers were not informed," he said in Parliament.
"This is **** up by officials, not a conspiracy by ministers."
Dr Cullen said New Zealand's policy on Iraq was clear and it was obvious shuttling troops had political implications.
National Party deputy leader Bill English was stunned officials that sat on a security committee had known about the flights but had not told ministers.
"Not only were (Mfat) officials advised and didn't tell their minister but that officials in the department of prime minister and cabinet were aware of these flights and did not inform any politician," he said.
Dr Cullen said the responsibility was Mfat's and Mr Murdoch said his signal that the matter was not sensitive was picked up by other officials.
ACT MP Heather Roy said Air NZ should be allowed to carry out its commercial operations without interference.
Green MP Keith Locke said Mr Murdoch was shouldering the blame but the Government and Air NZ were also responsible – the latter had violated its guiding principles and the Government's failure to be outspoken on Iraq led to complacency.
Strategic Aviation executive director Michael James said New Zealand's reaction was out of proportion. He said the planes only flew troops from Darwin to Kuwait, and under no circumstances did they fly into war zones.
"At the end of the day, it was a commercial decision we used Air New Zealand. There were no other aircraft around that could do the job in the region," Mr James said.
He said most of the people aboard the flights went to Afghanistan, where New Zealand has sent peacekeeping troops.

 

[Infern0]

Despite hitting severe turbulence from its government owners over helping fly soldiers to Iraq, Air New Zealand will help transport another troop of Baghdad-bound soldiers tomorrow.

The airline will fly 55 Tongan soldiers on a commercial flight to the United States, on their way to a six-month deployment in Baghdad.
Tongan Defence Force Lieutenant Commander Solomon Savelio confirmed the soldiers were booked to leave tomorrow on an Air Pacific flight to Fiji.
From there they were booked to fly United Airlines to Los Angeles on a commercial flight - operated by Air New Zealand.
A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, who was angered by news that Air New Zealand charter flights had been used to carry Australian troops to Iraq, indicated that the Tongan troop flight was different - it was a commercial flight.
Air New Zealand confirmed that United Airlines is a code-share partner on its flight from Auckland to Los Angeles.
Communications manager Tracey Palmer said the airline had "no visibility" as to the professions of the passengers on such flights.
The Tongan soldiers will provide security at Camp Victory, a base near Baghdad airport where the Multinational Force headquarters is based.
The base accommodates more than 10,000 troops and civilians.

 

[A Can of Man]

I read about this properly just recently.
I'm very disappointed that your prime minister does not act like a prime minister. She's acting like some head of an extreme high school environmentalist group fueled by teenage angst.
New Zealand deserves better than this.

 

[Infern0]

I'm very disappointed that your prime minister does not act like a prime minister. She's acting like some head of an extreme high school environmentalist group fueled by teenage angst.
New Zealand deserves better than this.

TBH i like her, she was a university activist in the 70's and for the most part she doesn't forget that. but at the same time is usually pretty pragmatic about things.

certianly the best leader this country has had in a long time IMHO

in saying all of that, i think she has done her dash and we'll be looking at new leadership after the next election.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Clark

 

[A Can of Man]

Fair enough then. I guess her behavior is alright in New Zealand... that's fine. A leader's got to suit the population of whom he/she governs, not those outside. That's the important thing.

 

[MontyB]

Fair enough then. I guess her behavior is alright in New Zealand... that's fine. A leader's got to suit the population of whom he/she governs, not those outside. That's the important thing.

It runs a little deeper than that as not only does she have the governments stance to maintain but as Air New Zealand's primary shareholder (something like 70% government owned) the government has to be pissed when a company they effectively own ignores their wishes.

 

[A Can of Man]

Like I said... high school environmental group run on teenage angst.
I would know... I've been in a lot of environmental groups. Middle school, high school.... not in college but wouldn't mind getting a job at one now.