US embassy cable - 04WELLINGTON824

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/ANP, NEA/I 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MOPS, NZ 
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND TROOPS RETURN FROM IRAQ; NO FUTURE 
DEPLOYMENTS SCHEDULED 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON COUNSELOR KATHERINE B. HADDA, 
REASON 1.5 (B, D) 
 
1. (C) Summary: New Zealand's 12-month military deployment to 
Iraq ended September 25, with the homecoming of over 60 
engineers and support staff.  Prime Minister Helen Clark 
welcomed the troops, and issued a public statement confirming 
that no further deployments to Iraq are being considered. 
While ruling out military assistance, Clark did, however, 
indicate a willingness to provide additional aid funds, and 
to look favorably on a request from the UN for one or two 
military officers to serve in UN headquarters in Baghdad. 
Post continues to encourage the GoNZ to remain engaged in 
Iraq, but political and resource constraints virtually ensure 
Clark will not go beyond what she has already indicated.  End 
Summary. 
 
NZ Troops Return Home 
---------------------- 
 
2. (U) New Zealand's 61-person Light Engineer Group was 
welcomed home September 25 by New Zealand Prime Minister 
Helen Clark and Defense Minister Mark Burton, ending NZ's 
military presence in Iraq.  The engineers, second 6-month 
deployment in Basra, Iraq had been hampered in recent weeks 
by deteriorating security conditions, but Clark stressed that 
the engineers had not simply waited out their time, but had 
remained in the hopes of completing more of their planned 
work. 
 
No Troops, But Financial Aid Possible 
------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) In media interviews Clark has made clear that the GoNZ 
is not considering sending either military or civilian aid 
personnel to Iraq, noting that the situation is "too 
difficult and too dangerous."  While ruling out military 
assistance, Clark has, however, stated publicly a willingness 
to provide additional aid funds, and to look favorably on a 
request from the UN for one or two military officers to serve 
in UN headquarters in Baghdad.  (Comment:  A senior MOD 
source told DCM that the New Zealand UN Mission had been 
instructed to work with the UN to ensure that an 
"appropriate" invitation would be issued once the UN was 
ready to return to Iraq.  End Comment.) In an interview with 
NZ media September 26, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi 
emphasized that a secure Iraq would serve as a defense for 
New Zealand.  He listed a number of areas where the GoNZ 
could assist, including the provision of troops to protect UN 
agencies, technical assistance or participation in the 
multinational force. 
 
4. (C) Comment:  Clark's insistence that further GoNZ 
assistance would be either solely financial, or at the behest 
of the UN is in keeping in tone with earlier comments.  She 
has always studiously refrained from linking NZ's presence in 
Iraq to the US and the Coalition, and consistently argued 
that her government's decision to deploy to Iraq was taken in 
order to support NZ's commitments to the UN and the 
multilateral system.  Despite this, Post continues to 
emphasize that, under UN auspices or not, the GoNZ needs to 
remain engaged in Iraq in some capacity.  While Clark was 
adamant that the troops were returning based on a 
pre-determined schedule (and indeed, they are in need of a 
rest after a their grueling six-month deployment), domestic 
pressures have likely played a role.  Much of the North 
Island was damaged by severe storms and flooding in the first 
half of 2004.  Infrastructure repairs have been hampered by a 
shortage of civil engineers, and the returning troops will 
fill this critical gap. 
Burnett