iraq

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Our Iraq war policy explained

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, April 16th, 2015 - 32 comments

The government is doing a poor job at explaining our Iraq war policy, but never fear, we have the answers.

Key the “statesman” strikes again

Written By: - Date published: 3:37 pm, April 15th, 2015 - 71 comments

key-name

Key admits he’s using our troops as vote-bait

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, March 18th, 2015 - 30 comments

Yesterday the mask slipped and John Key admitted the real reason our deployment to Iraq is only for two years: so he can win an election.

Why are we going to war?

Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, March 4th, 2015 - 125 comments

National’s justification for going to war against ISIS suffers from two fundamental problems, it is supporting an Iraqi regime that is corrupt and working against the best interests of all of its people, and there is no plan to convert Iraq into a sustainable state.

David Lange had guts

Written By: - Date published: 7:26 am, March 2nd, 2015 - 133 comments

lange-speech

Slane: National’s clubs

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, February 28th, 2015 - 25 comments

national's clubs

Public support for the Iraq deployment (In which the insightful and knowledgable Mike Hosking springs to the defence of the embattled PM!)

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, February 27th, 2015 - 89 comments

Despite the best efforts of Mike Hosking, the poll numbers tell us that Kiwis have lost their historical appetite for this kind of misadventure.

Get some guts

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, February 26th, 2015 - 114 comments

After the formal speeches on the Iraq deployment John Key set off on an extraordinary spittle-flecked rant against Labour. His “get some guts line” is going to haunt him for the next 3 years.

Petition – Not In My Name

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, February 26th, 2015 - 5 comments

A petition to oppose sending troops to Iraq has gained over 9,000 signatures in its first 24 hours. You can sign the petition here.

Three speeches on going to war

Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, February 25th, 2015 - 109 comments

The first three speeches from yesterdays session in Parliament on sending troops to Iraq – John Key, Andrew Little, Russel Norman. Little’s speech is cogent, Norman’s is brilliant.

Key’s Plazatoro guts

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 pm, February 24th, 2015 - 81 comments

John Key’s frothing exhortation to Andrew Little in Parliament to “get some guts” reminds one of opera’s famous Duke of Plazatoro “who led his regiment from behind, he found it less exciting.” Key’s not going to Iraq – our soldiers are the ones in danger.

The price of the club?

Written By: - Date published: 4:15 pm, February 24th, 2015 - 105 comments

Back in 2003, John Key had an interesting take on whether it was appropriate to send troops to Iraq.

ISIS. Crowdsourcing a solution.

Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, February 24th, 2015 - 172 comments

So, we’re off to Iraq. If the answer to ISIS isn’t sending Kiwi troops, what do Standardistas think practical alternatives might be?

EDIT: Key announces 143 troops to go to Iraq and support staff.

NZ sending troops to Iraq

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, February 23rd, 2015 - 227 comments

New Zealand will be sending troops to Iraq, and you read it first on The Standard. Or in other words, why are we still pretending that the decision hasn’t been made?

Mission Accomplished

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, February 14th, 2015 - 55 comments

“You gotta hand it to John Key: the timing is perfect. On a slow-news Friday at a time when the media is falling over itself to hype the cricket world cup, the last veil drops to reveal al Jaafari and his request for assistance.”

War HUH!

Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, February 13th, 2015 - 417 comments

NZ is again being asked to go to war in Iraq. The Clark Labour Government said no a decade ago, but in 2015 there may be a compelling reason to join the fight; this time it’s the right thing to do. New Standard author te reo putake puts the case for NZ entering the battle against ISIS.

The War Club Family

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 pm, February 8th, 2015 - 73 comments

There’s a fascinating article in the latest New Statesman titled “An Empire that speaks English: the right’s dream of a new world order.” Suddenly UK Foreign Minister Philip Hammond’s recent visit here makes sense. So does John Key’s references to sending troops to Iraq on behalf of the “club” or the “family” – he’s at the heart of the Empire.

Better to Jaw Jaw than War War

Written By: - Date published: 5:36 pm, February 5th, 2015 - 112 comments

Perhaps John Key should consider a Churchillian thought before he rushes to send our young to die in Iraq.

So now it’s a family not a club

Written By: - Date published: 3:48 pm, February 4th, 2015 - 114 comments

John Key wanted to be in the Five Eyes “club”, but I guess that didn’t focus group well, so now we’re being fed a new line – “family”.

But which club?

Written By: - Date published: 3:41 pm, January 21st, 2015 - 7 comments

I think when justifying sending troops to Iraq the club John Key is really talking about is the group of right-wing political parties known as the International Democratic Union. Today Key chairs its Executive in Sarajevo, his first meeting as President. This move by Key to the IDU is calculated; he sees himself as leader of the world right-wing club and this is the first step to his international political career post New Zealand politics.

The price of the club

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, January 21st, 2015 - 179 comments

Yesterday Key justified our likely military intervention in Iraq as “the price” of being in “the club” with other Five Eyes countries.

So what is happening with the price of oil?

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, December 18th, 2014 - 137 comments

The price of crude oil has nearly halved in the past six months and is causing massive repercussions throughout the world with both the Russian economy and the American Shale Oil industry under threat.  The geopolitical implications are complex.

NRT: Least preferred option

Written By: - Date published: 5:33 pm, November 17th, 2014 - 40 comments

Back in September, John Key said that sending the SAS to Iraq was his “least preferred option”, “at the very outer edge of what we’d be wanting to do”. Today, he’s changed his tune in his predictable way. Such a poodle wanting to have his belly scratched by his masters.

Turei for peace & freedom: rejects politics of fear

Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, November 5th, 2014 - 102 comments

Metiria Turei delivered a very strong speech in response to Key’s ministerial statement on national security.  I give her a standing ovation! Update #1: link to video of Turei’s speech. #2 -YT video Turei’s speech.  Link to Kennedy Garham’s speech

Key on ISIS

Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, November 5th, 2014 - 136 comments

Key’s much heralded speech on terrorism / ISIS is a mixed bag. As expected it will be used to justify unnecessarily increased surveillance powers. But at least we aren’t sending combat troops.

Let them go to war

Written By: - Date published: 12:06 am, October 19th, 2014 - 35 comments

Back when I was a teenager, a mate of mine decided that he was going to give up on school and would get in some combat. So he worked his way into the Rhodesian Light Infantry. A few years later I heard that he’d been killed in action. Other young men going overseas with similar excitement issues have came back a lot less interested in excitement. Sounds safer to me than letting them have a car.

To arms!

Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, October 18th, 2014 - 49 comments

We are about go to war partnered with multiple armies, none of whom is a champion of any of our democratic values of fairness, equality, human rights, or impartial justice. Meanwhile one in ten of us is about to be evicted from our state house home and put into the streets. Labour’s leadership candidates are silent in the media..

Off to war

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, October 16th, 2014 - 70 comments

Broken promise. Lies. War. The Herald willing to believe anything to defend Brand Key. Just another day in NZ politics.

NZ troops to Iraq?

Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, October 1st, 2014 - 109 comments

Key’s public position on sending troops to Iraq has (surprise!) changed since the election. His private position on the topic probably hasn’t changed since 2003.

Iraq and Syria

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, June 16th, 2014 - 77 comments

The situation in Syria and Iraq is becoming dire as two separate civil wars rage on. This raises as an issue National’s and John Key’s attitude to the war in Iraq which has clearly destabilised any hope of civilised rule. He is now claiming to be an internationalist and to only be interested in multilateral action. But has this always been the case?

Syria et al.

Written By: - Date published: 5:09 pm, August 29th, 2013 - 311 comments

Sometimes the most complicated and complex situation becomes clear when viewed from a simple and obvious perspective.

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