Mission Accomplished

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

[With apologies to BLiP – this should have gone up yesterday. That would have made made an interesting juxtaposition with TRP’s post – for all those that believe that writers at The Standard represent a single view!]

Slowly seducing New Zealanders’ into assisting with the slaughter of innocents on behalf of US corporate interests, John Key’s “dance of the seven veils” reaches its denouement today with the arrival in New Zealand of Iraq Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

John Key’s ridiculous writhing have been going on for more than eight months, starting back June 2014. At that time, as concern about ISIS’s advances were mounting, John Key ruled out any New Zealand military intervention in Iraq, barring an unlikely United Nations Security Council mission. John Key still denied any intent to involve New Zealand’s armed forces in October when it was revealed that the chief of the New Zealand Defence Force attended an exceptional meeting with US President Barack Obama and 20 other international defence leaders to talk specifically about defeating ISIS. John Key repeated his denial in November when it was revealed that the Army had begun training exercises for deployment to Iraq. Then, while enjoying his extended Christmas vacation, John Key suddenly said military participation in Iraq was the price New Zealand had to pay for its membership of “The Club”. No more talk about a United Nations’ mandate. Instead, the criteria became an invitation from the Iraqi government, a rather neat dodge to keep things legal as per Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter. Next on the stage was UK Foreign Minister Philip Hammond. No talk about “The Cub”, instead it was “frankly we’ve . . . got used to New Zealand being there alongside us, alongside the US, the UK, Australia, as part of the family,” Next, Gerry Brownlee admits the Army is training for deployment and the language from the National Ltd™ Cult of John Key changes to no “formal decision” has been made. Finally – hey presto – up pops Dr Ibrahim al-Jaafari..

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.

Not that anyone is paying much attention, its probably worth pointing out that if there is anyone in the world practised in the art of fronting for US corporate interests, its Dr Ibrahim al-Jaafari. He is one of a bunch of once-exiled Shia politicians brought back to Iraq after the 2003 illegal invasion, occupation and on-going neo-liberal looting of that nation’s resources. Al-Jaafari’s initial role was as the first temporary President of Paul Bremer’s inaugural puppet show, the Governing Council of Iraq. He then served a Vice President from June 2004 until April 2005. Following the 2005 election in Iraq, al-Jaafari became that nation’s first elected Prime Minister on 3 May 2005. His immediate predecessor was the notorious A’yad Allawi.

Allawi, another Shia political activist who spend decades in exile, was a long-term CIA and MI6 source because of his previous involvement with Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist Party. Allawi was a principal member of the Iraqi National Accord, a grouping of disaffected Iraqis who worked throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s to topple Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi National Accord is alleged to have been the source which provided the “weapons of mass destruction” data which was used by the UK and US governments to generate public support for the 2003 invasion.

Despite their cooperation with the US, both A’yad Allawi and Dr Ibrahim al-Jaafari have reason enough to completely mistrust the US. Allawi was betrayed in 1996 when the CIA operation DBACHILLES – a well-funded, well-organised attempted military coup in Iraq – was foiled by Saddam Hussein. The US stood by in silence refusing any assistance as many of the participants were slaughtered while many, including. the Allawi family lost their lands and hundreds of millions of dollars of assets. Al-Jaafari, on the other hand, was removed from the Prime Ministership of Iraq at the whim of the US almost exactly one year after his election to the office. Al-Jaafari’s major sin was to dither about while his fellow Shia Muslims extracted revenge on the B’athis Sunnis in an upsurge of violence just as Iraq was seemingly emerging as a democracy. Not good PR, at all. Al-Jaafari’s position wasn’t helped by the fact that a large part of his public support stemmed from Moktada al-Sadr, a “turbulent and meddlesome” cleric if ever there was one. So, in yet another act of utter and supremely ignorant arrogance, the US removed al-Jaafari on 20 May 2006 and saw to it that Nuri al-Maliki was installed as Iraq’s new Prime Minister. Even US neo-liberals worked out that wasn’t a good move, but their corporate machinations amounted to little.

Nuri al-Maliki was happily carrying on his role as Prime Minister following the 2014 Iraqi elections, but then ISIS sent shivers through the US which decided he had to go. As a replacement, it installed another of their long-term exiled Shia politicians, one Haider al-Abadi. He served under the Coalition Provisional Authority as Minister of Communications from September 2003 to June 2004. Al-Abadi also has reason enough to completely mistrust the US. Bremer’s Coalition Provisional Authority systematically privatised all of Iraq’s state-owned companies and essential infrastructure including its wireless (mobile) communications system. Needless to say, al-Abadi wasn’t impressed but then, when protesting and attempting to do something about it, he ran into significant interference from the wonderful John A. “Jack” Shaw . . . but that’s another whole chapter.

Overall, it looks as if the US just pressed “reset” on its political game in Iraq with the September 2014 return to the world stage of people like Haider al-Abadi, A’yad Allawi and Dr Ibrahim al-Jaafari. The difference this time is that ISIS presents much more of a threat to US corporate interests than just the fall out from destroying Iraq. The whole Middle East is potentially up for grabs. The question now is: what are these Iraqi politicians really up to and has the US learned anything about meddling in the Middle East over the past 100 years? Hell, what about just over the last 12 years?

John Key certainly hasn’t. Not that he cares. No one who votes for him is gonna be thinking about things like Iraq in 24 hours when the New Zealand MSM focuses on his beaming visage, tears in eyes while Hayley Westenra belts out the national anthem?

— BLiP

George W. Bush

55 comments on “Mission Accomplished ”

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  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1
    14 February 2015 at 7:56 am

    Confusion over the rules of engagement won’t help either.

    Before any such deployment, New Zealand would have to thrash out a satisfactory agreement with the Iraqi Government over the circumstances under which they could draw their weapons, and that they would be legally protected should they be drawn into a firefight and kill someone.

    Al-Jaafari’s muddying of the waters by suggesting such security could easily be provided by Iraqi forces will make our Government’s job of selling the politically challenging pill of an Iraq deployment even harder…as welcome as a hole in the head.

    This is a shit plan.

    Those bottom lines include that our commitment be confined to military trainers who are not engaged in any sort of combat role; that they be deployed “behind the wire” – that is, back at base, not out in the field – and that the Government can be satisfied every possible step has been taken to ensure their safety.

    Can someone point to the “front line” behind which everything is peaceful? “Behind the wire” is a lie.

    • Bastables 1.1
      14 February 2015 at 11:47 am

      Having wire up implicitly means it’s not safe. One does not have manned fighting positions on a wall in Linton . . . There is no perceived danger or Massey university students mortaring or shooting into 1 RNZIR lines.

  2. freedom 2
    14 February 2015 at 9:11 am

    The second paragraph is an excellent overview of the war massage* NZ received.

    If you mash up Blip’s piece today with TRP’s from yesterday, I think OAB’s comment sums up the entire political/military mess rather nicely –

    “This is a shit plan”

    It is not exactly a profound or particularly poetic explanation of the ongoing conflict our soldiers are being sent into, but it sure as hell is accurate.

    *not a typo

  3. Jenny Kirk 3
    14 February 2015 at 9:11 am

    And in the Dom Post this morning there is a suggestion that the “troops” will only be deployed for two years – returning just in time for a triumphant parade thru town to enhance John Key’s 2017 election campaign – no doubt !

    • tc 3.1
      14 February 2015 at 9:56 am

      The ones who didn’t get killed earning JK’s and mates next sinecure you mean.

    • Colonial Rawshark 3.2
      14 February 2015 at 10:32 am

      The Dom Post is written by idiots. Nothing will be achievable in Iraq in two years. The last 12 years have shown that.

    • A Voter 3.3
      14 February 2015 at 4:29 pm

      yes well spotted cant keep that ego down for too long it mite create mental health problems for his divinity as Im sure he is convinced he is greater than any other being

  4. jeff 4
    14 February 2015 at 10:26 am

    “Can someone point to the “front line” behind which everything is peaceful? “Behind the wire” is a lie”

    The twelve mile territorial waters around New Zealand.

    • Colonial Rawshark 4.1
      14 February 2015 at 10:35 am

      Anyone who mentions the concept of a “frontline” in Iraq is clearly an imbecile.

      The “frontline” is the boundary of the Green Zone in Baghdad, FFS.

    • Pascals bookie 4.2
      14 February 2015 at 12:07 pm

      Couple of pieces on the same events from the last 24 hours:

      Mil type version:

      http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/islamic_state_takes_1.php?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

      The political version;

      http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/13/islamic-state-iraq-al-asad-airbase-united-states-marine-corps/?utm_content=bufferc45b7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

      The problem faced is that, even leaving aside the Iraqi govts commitment or otherwise to supporting Sunni tribal anti-IS forces, the bases are a natural target for IS.

      -Firstly, threatening the bases where western troops are based highlights the presence of those troops, defining IS as ‘fighters against western imperialism’ in the eyes of would be supporters.

      -Secondly, if they can force western states to either pull out or increase their presence, that’s a win. Increasing, or even engaging in combat, is the bigger win for IS here. Western pullout would be like a sugar hit for propaganda, but would redefine their fight as being against other Muslims rather than as against imperialists.

      -Thirdly, if western forces become involved in direct combat and increase their presence. Moqtada’s sadrists come into their own. Moq differs from the Badr in a number of crucial ways. Firstly he was not an exile. His father stayed put under Saddam, and was killed for it. Moq did not leave either. 2ndly, Their faction is nationalist in a way that the exiles are not. He has already stated that should the war against IS turn into another ‘occupation’ with the govt becoming a client of the west, he’ll go back to opposing the occupation and the govt on the streets. Which means Baghdad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadr_City

      Add those factors to the points about the govt not really being ready to trust Sunni anti-IS forces enough to actually arm them for the job, (which is perfectly rational), and the bases are obvious targets.

      Note in those reports that the attackers were dressed in Iraqi Amy uniforms. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were army, or had army links. The collapse of the army, the corruption, etc, mean uniforms will be easy to come by, but it does indicate how forces will not be able to trust uniforms. A goal of asymmetric forces is to force their opponents to make mistakes, to attack those who should not have been attacked. And these guys are well practiced.

      Create known unknowns, exploit the ambiguity, be still standing when the other guys get sick of it.
      2 years my arse.

  5. Sabine 5
    14 February 2015 at 10:41 am

    http://billmoyers.com/2014/06/27/the-lies-we-believed-and-still-believe-about-iraq/

    good read

    “Our report found that in the two years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush and seven of his administration’s top officials made at least 935 false statements about the national security threat posed by Iraq. The carefully orchestrated campaign of untruths about Iraq’s alleged threat to US national security from its WMDs or links to al Qaeda (also specious) galvanized public opinion and led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses. Perhaps most revealing: the number of false statements made by top Bush administration officials dramatically increased from August 2002 to the time of the critical October 2002 congressional approval of the war resolution and spiked even higher between January and March 2003, between Secretary of State Colin Powell’s address before the United Nations General Assembly and the fateful March 19, 2003, invasion.”

    we should not, under no circumstance participate in this sham. IF we need to send “trainers” or ‘coaches’ there it should be teachers, nurses, builders, plumbers, sparkies, and the likes to re-build this nation that has been broken into a million pieces.

  6. ghostwhowalksnz 6
    14 February 2015 at 11:40 am

    petrol pump jingoism. Works every time.

    100 years ago we were constantly hearing about the ‘beastly hun’ and our future under the picklehaube.

    Nothing changes except the ‘clothing of the enemy’

    • Colonial Rawshark 6.1
      14 February 2015 at 11:59 am

      Reds under the bed.
      Terrorism.
      Islamic terrorism.

      Whatever is next to keep people fearful and the military-industrial-intelligence-congressional complex fed, watered and in power.

      • AmaKiwi 6.1.1
        14 February 2015 at 12:10 pm

        “Whatever is next?”

        The Yellow Peril.

        You can bet money on it.

        • freedom 6.1.1.1
          14 February 2015 at 12:27 pm

          yes, we must fear The International Chinese Communist (?) Conspiracy

          • AmaKiwi 6.1.1.1.1
            14 February 2015 at 12:38 pm

            Just keep it “yellow,” in case the Chinese don’t step up to the plate for a fight or, more likely, because they are too big for the USA to take on directly.

            Last time the Yellow Peril was the Vietnamese. We sure showed them who is the boss.

            • freedom 6.1.1.1.1.1
              14 February 2015 at 1:51 pm

              I have always considered the [obviously objectionable] term ‘yellow peril’ to be associated to China, and on occasion Japan. Not saying it wasn’t, but I certainly cannot recall the term being used in relation to the Vietnam war.

              Vietnam is an Asian country, but if pressed, I would say its racial profile was not in the forefront of the propaganda as much as the supposed threat of communism spreading across the globe and eating everybody’s children.

              The US military of course did nothing to dissuade its troops from their openly bigoted views. Hollywood and the msm certainly fuelled that fire, both within Vietnam and back in the good ‘ol USA. As a whole however, the political not the racial differences dictated the public face of that conflict. Its private face of course was about securing trade, destabilizing neighbours, faking intel and bullying allies into fighting battles they had no logical reason to be involved in. But that’s just war right?

              Here is a review I read last year of a book I have not read, which looks like it could be a good read on the topic of the yellow peril. 🙂 (omg, are emoticons part of the cunning plan ??? )
              http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/30/yellow-pe

        • Colonial Rawshark 6.1.1.2
          14 February 2015 at 12:29 pm

          Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that one…that’ll be fun…the Russian Bear and the Chinese Dragon = Eurasia…

      • mac1 6.1.2
        14 February 2015 at 4:14 pm

        Here’s a line from a WW1 play that I’m currently rehearsing. What’s new?

        “All proceeds to those poor Belgian children who have been driven from their homes by a cruel enemy, boiled down, and turned into soap.”

        And another- “Fanny promptly informed Thomas that if he did not join up immediately there would be no marriage. She doesn’t want the German soldiers eating her babies.”

        ‘King and Country’ by Dave Armstrong.

        • alwyn 6.1.2.1
          14 February 2015 at 4:58 pm

          Is the author really Dave Armstrong?
          The only play I am aware of with this name was by a John Wilson.
          It was made into a film starring Dirk Bogarde about 1964.
          A very impressive, and searing, film it was.
          I am curious about whether there is another play with the same name.

          • mac1 6.1.2.1.1
            14 February 2015 at 7:15 pm

            Yes, there is. alwyn. I have the script in front of me. Written in 2008. There was a film made of the same name. This has a great script and concerns the Pioneer Maori Battalion and pakeha troops at well, from Gallipoli to Le Quesnoy, and on return to NZ. There is a lot of music to be played and sung.

            The rank jingoism and propaganda of that war has its modern parallel.

  7. AmaKiwi 7
    14 February 2015 at 12:28 pm

    Unlike the countries bordering other countries, NZ, Australia, and the USA have no natural enemies. So we invent them.

    We are a vicious species.

  8. A Voter 8
    14 February 2015 at 12:32 pm

    The appalling arrogance of Key as the article outlines make me ashamed to be a NZer led by a prick like that I wonder how many of the old soldiers now in their graves will be turning wondering how far this Key prick will go to bolster his ego maybe its something in his Austrian heritage that is a national trait for them but we don’t need that naive rhetoric from Key when most people already know the truth and to have the PM of this country misrepresenting our democracy to such an extent he’s got a cheek to have himself near cricket because what he is doing” just isn’t cricket “

  9. travellerev 9
    14 February 2015 at 12:58 pm

    Troll (TRP) versus the BLiPster!

    BLiP, once again thank you from the bottom of my heart for presenting Te Reo Putake (The voice of reason). Placing TRP’s article allowing his warmongering garbage and making him a writer here at the Standard must most surely count as one of this blog’s darkest episodes.

    • Harriet 9.1
      14 February 2015 at 1:51 pm

      “….Placing TRP’s article allowing his warmongering garbage and making him a writer here at the Standard must most surely count as one of this blog’s darkest episodes…..’

      Oh I wouldn’t think so….TRP’s just fearing for those who can’t defend for themselves…….that’s hardly overdoing things…..

      Anyway, at what point does self preservation become priority over political correctness? Is a point really needed – or would a series of random mortal threats be acceptable?

      The reality is that the Islamofascists remind us that we are not so far removed from our barbarous ancestors – as they want to return to the 7th century and use 7th century tactics to do it. While we fancy ourselves “enlightened” and “modern”, ISIS demonstrates otherwise.

      How do an enlightened and modern people deal with 7th century barbarians? Do we apply our rules and punishments to them, or adopt theirs? Does lifelong incarceration do any good? Can all of them be killed and/or incarcerated? Is it even possible? How many do we have to imprison 1 million? 100 million? And how do you eradicate an idea, however evil and poisonous? by schooling?

      For 1400 years the world has been continually assaulted and besieged by the followers of a depraved pedophile. Yet world leaders continue to deny any connection between the actions of his followers and the doctrine he gave them in the Koran. That alone is proof of Western decadence.

      The canard that jihad and jihadis have nothing to do with Islam is a lethal delusion foisted on the people by the venal fools who comprise our leadership.

      Clearly then, self preservation has become the priority!

      After the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Japanese vowed to fight on. It took a second atomic bomb to convince the Japanese that they had two choices: Surrender or cease to exist.

      Personally, I think 1 missile launched from a nuclear submarine targeting Medina, would be a good start. Another for Tehran 15 minutes later. Then we’ll talk! And only then!

      BTW, The Qu’ran is very similar to Hitler’s MEINE KAMPF – in that it details exactly how MUSLIMS behave, plus, it’s hard to read through either one.

      As an aside, and since you are bagging out Key, General George Patton said long ago these fine thoughtful words:

      “I don’t mourn dead soldiers, but rather, I thank God every day for men like them.” – A matter of what you do UNDER a flag is what really counts. Something Key should take note of.

      Cheers. Have a nice day.

      [I think Harriet that you have well and truly overstepped the mark and I am going to exercise for the first time my power to ban someone. Have a nice day … MS]

      • travellerev 9.1.1
        14 February 2015 at 2:38 pm

        For to those of you confused by Harriet’s response about nuking Tehran (Capital of Iran and home to about 25.000 Jews living in peace with their Arab brothers and sisters) and Medina (One of the most sacred cities in Saudi Arabia, one of our allies in the war against “terrorism) and her other Islamophobic garbage.

        Here are some links you might want check up on:

        ISIS connected to financed by the CIA amonst others.
        Wounded ISIS fighters are treated in Israel
        ISIS leader Al Bagdadi meets Senator McCain and turns out to be a possible Mossad agent.
        ISIS armed by Saudi Arabia (amongst others) our ally

      • freedom 9.1.2
        14 February 2015 at 6:15 pm

        “After the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Japanese vowed to fight on. It took a second atomic bomb to convince the Japanese that they had two choices: Surrender or cease to exist.”

        Once again Harriet, your sound bite history sounds nothing like the truth.

        It matters not one iota what the Emperor chose to do after the US dropped Little Boy and incinerated one hundred and fifty thousand civilians at 8:15 in the morning on August 6 1945.

        The second bomb, Fatman, dropped at 11:03 am on August 9, which incinerated a further eighty thousand civilians, and a handful of military cadets at a hostel overlooking Nagasaki, was always going to be dropped.

        If the USA had any intention of allowing Japan the option of surrendering before the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the President would have invited representatives of the Japanese Emperor to witness the Trinity tests. The reality is the Emperor had tried to negotiate a peace, numerous times.

        The USA, in the month preceding the first use of a nuclear ordinance, had systematically been fire bombing every city and every town in Japan that the US bombers could reach. Approximately 60% -70% of the Japanese urban environments had been destroyed, and their civilian populations burnt to death by the incendiary bombs that were deployed in volumes that make Dresden look like a kitchen fire.

        Let us ignore for a moment that the heads of the Japanese military had basically taken matters into their own hands in the months leading up to our world’s darkest day. Let us forget the Emperor had been without any real power for months. Let us instead focus on the fact that days before Little Boy released its furnace upon the women and children of a city that had no military purpose, the Japanese Emperor had indeed been trying to negotiate an end to the fire bombing of his nation. He most certainly tried to save his people, but his actions were seen as a show of disrespect to his ancestors. It was the stubborn dedication of a dogma driven military which did not succumb. Not until the inevitability of their demise and the centuries of honour in war, were so fully and so mercilessly burnt away.

        The surrender of Japan was certainly finalised by the second bomb being dropped but it was not because the Emperor had refused to surrender. It was because the President of the USA refused to accept the offers of surrender from the Emperor of Japan. Until, that is, the world had proven it fully understood the power and supremacy of the new arsenal that science had delivered into the Oval Office.

        The decades that followed are replete with horrors as the weapon proliferated across the globe. Have you ever asked yourself how the USSR got up to speed so quickly? There is an airfield outside of Los Alamos and a couple of naval ports on the West Coast of Alaska that may have one or two remnants of the shipping orders, but you probably stopped reading awhile ago I won’t bore you with those details.

        • Colonial Rawshark 9.1.2.1
          14 February 2015 at 6:39 pm

          The US wanted live tests on a dense population centre of both a plutonium weapon and a uranium weapon. They knew they would not get another chance to do so for a while.

          • millsy 9.1.2.1.1
            15 February 2015 at 3:08 pm

            And they also wanted to show the Russians that the next one would go on Moscow if they tried anything funny…

        • Stuart Munro 9.1.2.2
          14 February 2015 at 11:47 pm

          This essay explains the Japanese surrender as actually having been prompted by Russia’s entry to the Pacific war – not a trivial matter for Japanese forces in Korea, Manchuko and further west.

          http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/08/07/why_did_japan_surrender/?camp=pm

          The nuke’s supposed role as instigators of the surrender perform two propaganda functions – they purport to excuse the use of WMDs against a civilian target, and they purport to legitimise the subsequent nuclear arms race. Neither should be accepted uncritically.

        • Ad 9.1.2.3
          15 February 2015 at 6:35 am

          Excellent stuff.

        • dv 9.1.2.4
          15 February 2015 at 8:13 am

          AND Hiroshima and Nagasaki were deliberately left untouched by the fire bombing so the US could see the full extent of the effect of the atomic bombing.

          • freedom 9.1.2.4.1
            15 February 2015 at 9:19 am

            DV you are correct, + as raised by CV, I should have expanded on wider aspects of the US’s motive, preparation and execution in relation to the fire bombing mission -There were a handful of potential targets that were left alone, as the final decision was reliant upon weather – not because the bomb would have been any less affective on a cloudy day – but the planes wouldn’t see their target as well and the recording of the devastation could have been hampered. Will probably rework it for another time I think 🙂

      • Colonial Rawshark 9.1.3
        14 February 2015 at 6:34 pm

        Personally, I think 1 missile launched from a nuclear submarine targeting Medina, would be a good start. Another for Tehran 15 minutes later. Then we’ll talk! And only then!

        You’re an evil monster. To see an inhuman barbarian you only need to look in the mirror.

        I recommend you go get a job as a neocon staffer in Congress.

        Cheers. Have a nice day.

        Fuck off and don’t come back

        • joe90 9.1.3.1
          14 February 2015 at 6:59 pm

          Harriet’s posts over at the sewer out him as a semi-literate fool who routinely presents cut and paste as his own so odds are it’s his mum spewing the bile and hate.

          • tricledrown 9.1.3.1.1
            15 February 2015 at 12:38 am

            Harrieyt was outed by mainstream media a long time ago spreadin racial hatred and bigotry.
            Harriet should be warned by Dame Susan Devoy.

      • johnm 9.1.4
        14 February 2015 at 7:39 pm

        Harriet has shown up a horrific and appalling truth underlying the “Global Order. ” The human capability of World Destroying Violence. There are maniacs in the U$ who’d applaud Harriet. Once war breaks out anything is possible and anything possible is done to the enemy. If Germany had stopped the Russians to the east and defeated the Normandy Invasion they too would have been nuked into surrender. Dresden was the equivalent of a nuke drop. There you are Harriet is showing the monster that lurks in the human heart.

  10. Wynston 10
    14 February 2015 at 2:29 pm

    Key’s varying story as outlined has an uncanny resemblance to that which Holyoake spun leading up to the deployment of NZ forces to Vietnam!

  11. Wynston 11
    14 February 2015 at 9:12 pm

    In so far as the Nats wish that any NZ personnel be “behind the wire” I hope Key takes note of the latest news see:
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31449976

  12. Redelusion 12
    14 February 2015 at 11:27 pm

    Wynston your not going, Keys not going, soldiers are going, they no what they sign up for and suggest have no issue at all All the bs re behind the wire etc is irrelevant and simply for public consumption. They are going to a war zone simple as that, many would say and rightly so, many say not, time will tell

    • Murray Rawshark 12.1
      15 February 2015 at 12:11 am

      Soldiers sign up for a variety of reasons, but not many sign up to waste their lives in pointless and unsuccessful wars. Generally they sign up to serve and protect their country, sometimes to play with guns, and sometimes to film female soldiers in the showers. Sometimes the female soldier kicks their door down, takes their camera, and uses it as evidence to get them thrown out of the army. So what is it that they no (sic) that they sign up for, you delusional moran?

  13. sabine 13
    14 February 2015 at 11:34 pm

    warmongers

    the potus who was gonna stop it all

    http://time.com/3705456/obama-aumf-military-enduring/

    the christians pining for the second coming of christs or Christans for Israel
    http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/02/13/support-for-netanyahu-speech-to-congress-on-iranian-nuclear-threat-surges/

    meanwhile the iranians write letters to potus who can’t be arsed

    http://news.yahoo.com/political-stakes-high-irans-president-nuclear-talks-070617863.html

    someone who is not potus invites netanyahu to speak at congress because who cares what potus does
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/09/us-israel-netanyahu-congress-idUSKBN0LD1MF20150209

    and someone was paying a trip to republican party members to israel, all expenses paid

    http://time.com/3616292/republican-israel-trip-american-renewal/

    in the meantime the carnage in the rest of the middle east goes on…but we are to fight isis, or al quaida, or humpty dumpty so that the informed masses feel like we are still having the biggest dick to swing around

    Mission accomplished, only when iran is no longer and Eretz Israel has free reign, cause democracy, and freedom, n stuff

  14. Murray Rawshark 14
    14 February 2015 at 11:36 pm

    There are already Kiwi troops in Iraq doing groundwork for the official sending. The process is happening and people in the army don’t like it. They see the place as a mess where they won’t achieve anything. The army chiefs will suck up to Key because they want knighthoods and are fuckwitted Tories who love the chance to play with seppo equipment. The soldiers who will be sent know it’s a waste of time, but some on the left, such as TRP, want to hurry them on their way.

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