That 1914 Feeling

Written By: - Date published: 10:28 pm, January 3rd, 2020 - 104 comments
Categories: afghanistan, helen clark, Iran, iraq, jacinda ardern, military, Syria, us politics, war, winston peters - Tags:

President Trump personally ordered the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite military Quds force. He was killed by rockets fired from US drones over Baghdad Airport.  This is unlawful by any standards, as well as an act of war. Iran has promised retaliation.The doomsday clock just moved closer to midnight.

 

 

 

 

 

Aussie blogger Caitlin Johnstone provides a summary here. It is to be hoped our media do not just rely on CNN and the BBC for their commentary. I like the Saker and moonofalabama for facts and analysis – others may have other suggestions.

I look forward to condemnation of this unlawful act by the US President from our political leadership. Helen Clark kept us out of the “coalition of the willing” and it is high time our military were out of Iraq and Afghanistan for that matter.

This situation is very worrying. It is long past time that we spoke up for peace.

 

104 comments on “That 1914 Feeling ”

  1. Peter 1

    When you have a megalomaniac in charge of a country anything can happen. When a country has a megalomaniac in charge who finds out that things don't always go as he wants, the toys being thrown out of his cot could be quite dramatic.

  2. Bill 2

    Maybe…just maybe, the US foreign policy establishment and Executive has overplayed its hand (their joint hands) with regards the US population. It'll be interesting to see if the MSNBCs and FOX, NYT and Washington Posts can successfully herd the domestic population behind some notion that this was a strike against terrorism. That's not a little thing, because they need to do that if the intention is to use any retaliation as an excuse for full scale war. But it's also interesting (depressing) that they (the US) have claimed the right to launch pre-emptive strikes from now on in as a means of defence…(escalating to full scale war?)

    We'll see.

  3. Drowsy M. Kram 3

    "It’s déjà vu all over again." – Clifford Terry

    "The very bad news is that Trump is truly one of the most simple-minded and easiest manipulated figures in Western political history, and he’s gotten a perfectly Pavlovian lesson this week that if he wants to be treated as a serious president worthy of respect, all he has to do is take dramatic military action."
    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-is-beating-the-drum-of-war_b_58ed3b1ae4b0df7e20464088 [04/11/2017]

    C'mon
    Ev'rybody's talking about Ministers
    Sinisters, Banisters and canisters
    Bishops and Fishops and Rabbis and Pop eyes
    And bye bye, bye byes

    All we are saying is give peace a chance [Plastic Ono Band] – oh NO!
    We should be saying let's give peace a chance – NZ!

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/01/03/breaking-nz-must-be-clear-we-will-not-go-to-war-with-trump-against-iran/

  4. James 4

    Citation for you claims that the action ordered by trump was illegal?

    Since you state it as fact and all

    • weka 4.1

      that's a pretty easy google James.

      • James 4.1.1

        I did google it weka. sure a couple of people asking if it was (lefties of course) – but there is no major site stating that it was in fact illegal.

        since the post mentions is clearly as fact – I thought there would be something to back it up

        so I can only believe that they have better info than the poster and that it was indeed perfectly legal

    • KJT 4.2

      Is there any piece of right wing nutjobbery, you don't support, James?

      • James 4.2.1

        killing of assholes like this guy I have no issue with.

        • Psycho Milt 4.2.1.1

          The principle that it's OK to assassinate foreign officials as long as James thinks the official is an asshole isn't really a workable approach to issues like this.

          • Peter 4.2.1.1.1

            And if the principle of assassinating officials who you think are assholes is OK why should foreign officials have preference?

            If supporters of the principle think it's okay for it to be a US principle would logic have it that it could be used against their own leaders?

        • LILMAN 4.2.1.2

          Glad he was taken out.

    • Well, assassinating foreign countries' officials is certainly illegal under international law, so I presume you're asking for evidence it's illegal under US law. A more relevant question would be "If it turns out it's actually not illegal under US law for the PotUS to assassinate foreign countries' officials, hadn't they better change that ASAP?"

      • James 4.3.1

        No – I’m asking for evidence that it’s illegal at all.

        none is provided.

        • Wayne 4.3.1.1

          James,

          France, Senator Schumer, Fred Kaplan, just about ever international lawyer on the planet. OK I don’t do links, but you could read this just about anywhere on the web.

          Part of the justification is that he was involved in the Iraqi insurgency of a decade and a half ago. It makes no sense. Military leaders on both sides were responsible for attacking the other side. Once the war is over they are no longer lawful targets.

          Unless someone is imminently and directly planning and undertaking a deadly terrorist attack there is no legal justification for attacking them. The US has bought no evidence that Soleimani was doing that. Being head of Quds is not enough.

          The US and Iran are not (yet) in a state of war. Yes, they take action against each other’s interests. A bit like the Cold War between the US and the USSR. In that case neither side attacked the central leadership of the other side. That would be an act of war in a way that the Cold War intelligence operations were not.

          • James 4.3.1.1.1

            https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/01/03/us/politics/ap-us-united-states-iran-legal-questions.html

            peob the best I have read in this subject.

            Didn’t backup the statement that this was “unlawful by any standards” as this post stated.

            • Psycho Milt 4.3.1.1.1.1

              It's unlawful by international standards. Any government can pass laws allowing it to assassinate foreign countries' officials, so the question of whether this was legal under US law or not is irrelevant. For example, all the people the Nazis executed were killed legally under German law because the Nazi government had passed laws making that legal. Countries with rule of law considered that fact irrelevant, just as they should in this case.

              • Robert Guyton

                " all the people the Nazis executed were killed legally under German law because the Nazi government had passed laws making that legal."

                Is James arguing that this is okay?

                • James

                  No – PM is.

                  keep up Robert.

                • To be fair, he isn't arguing that. His quibbling about the legality of assassinating foreign countries' officials is a sideshow, his actual argument being presented in comment 4.2.1, with its implied argument that killing people is OK if James thinks they're an "asshole." There's no reason (thus far) to assume James considers the victims of the Nazis to be "assholes," but if he did think they were "assholes" then yes he would be arguing it was OK for the Nazis to execute them.

                  • James

                    No – what I’m arguing is that the comment was made this was illegal. I’m saying that is not proven – and there is nothing to back up the posters claim.

                    the second point was personal view. Which is I have no issue with evil people like this being killed. The equivalent argument would be that I would not be sad is someone killed hitler before he could do more harm.

                    • Incognito

                      Skipping the legality issue for a moment, will this pre-emptive strike to remove ‘a risk’ lower the risk/threat level? Will more or fewer innocent lives be lost, for example, as a direct result of this thuggish action on foreign soil? Where does the US draw the line in protecting their ‘interests’?

                    • McFlock

                      I'm sure Iraq has a law against murder.

                    • McFlock

                      It also seems to be contrary to Article2, principle 4 of the UN charter (of which the US is a member):

                      All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

              • James

                “It's unlawful by international standards”

                You state something as fact with nothing to back it up.

                there are positions where that is legal – it has not been proven that this was not.

            • Andre 4.3.1.1.1.2

              I suspect if you dug into the backgrounds of those opinion piece writers (and I can't be arsed doing that), you'd probably find they're enthusiasts for expansive executive powers (but only for Repug presidents). Hence their exclusive focus on Article 2 of the Constitution.

              But if it ever came to having to fight against serious domestic blowback for assassinating a senior member of a legitimate foreign government that the US was not in a formal war with, then I suspect the stronger defence would be that it was authorised under the Authorisation for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists passed in 2001 after 9/11.

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_Against_Terrorists

        • Macro 4.3.1.2

          Can I refer you to this article which looks at the legality of whether or not Trump had the authority to order the killing. The author notes that the matter can be looked at from an International context – but also notes that the Trump administration is noted for not seeing itself constrained by International Law.

          In the past, the United States has relied on one of two Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs) to authorize military operations in Iraq. Both remain on the books and provide the most plausible possible statutory legal basis for the strike that killed Soleimani.

          The more famous of the two is the 2001 AUMF, which currently provides the legal authority for U.S. military operations against al-Qaeda and related groups around the world, including those against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The language of this AUMF authorizes “all necessary and appropriate force” against the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks and anyone whom “[the president] determines” has harbored and assisted them—not a category that most see as including the Iranian regime, whose religious views are anathema to those of al-Qaeda. That said, the Trump administration has reportedly suggested in briefings to Congress that the 2001 AUMF could be used to target Iran. The exact reasoning behind this assertion is unclear, but Trump administration officials have reportedly pointed to certain transactional interactions between al-Qaeda and Iran both before and after the Sept. 11 attacks. Such ties are far weaker than what has been used to authorize the use of military force against other groups in the past. But the broad and expressly deferential language of the 2001 AUMF makes its application on the basis of these ties difficult to rule out entirely.

          https://www.lawfareblog.com/did-president-have-domestic-legal-authority-kill-qassem-soleimani

    • Obtrectator 4.4

      It mightn't have been "illegal", but it sure was a bad precedent.

      • Peter 4.4.1

        It would be a dramatically bad precedent if some overseas power took out the US President. It would be seen as a declaration of war.

        When the US does it, it's 'sorting out a situation which needs to be sorted out.'

    • Bill 4.5

      A US President requires Congressional approval to take the US into war. Now sure, the Constitution has been ignored by Presidents going back to (I think) WW2 – but that doesn't make it legal, and it has only become "a habit" due to the prevalence of bi-partisan support for military adventurism.

      The fact this act of war was an assassination goes back to G Bush who began the whole drone strike nonsense that Obama continued with, including (I don't know if this was an escalation on his part or if Bush had done likewise) extrajudicial killing of US citizens abroad.

      The Democrats are currently looking at adding further articles of impeachment to their current piss weak case against Trump. If they were serious about protecting the integrity of their institutions, this act by Trump would be in there quicker than milk.

      I'm not holding my breath.

      The Washington Post is headlining that Trump meant this as an act to preserve peace, while the Guardian is couching it in terms of being "a gamble". No condemnation from pop media then – as expected.

  5. It depends on the lawyer of the day, who gives you what/ any/ if any legal advice on the Laws of Armed Conflict or the Rules of War James. Yes folks there are certain rules and Laws for the conduct of War/ Arm Conflict in which just about every tom, dick and Harry thumbs it nose at them when suits them.

    • James 5.1

      Thanks

      i understand there are rules for this kind of thing – and I’m sure they are complicated.
      im also sure the US checked them out well before killing the guy.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 5.1.1

        "…before killing assassinating the guys." – fixed.

        Overall, the statement [by the Pentagon about the airstrike] places far greater emphasis on past activities and violations allegedly commuted by Suleimani. As such the killing appears far more retaliatory for past acts than anticipatory for imminent self defense,” Callamard continued.

        “The statement fails to mention the other individuals killed alongside Suleimani. Collateral? Probably. Unlawful. Absolutely,” she added.

        https://nypost.com/2020/01/03/us-airstrike-that-killed-qassim-soleimani-of-iran-violates-human-rights-law-un-official-says/

        Of course, that's just the opinion of a so-called ‘expert’ (UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killing), and what do they know! In 2003, similar ‘experts’ were saying that Iraq had no WMD capability, but we know that can't be right, because it was a principal justification that the Bush administration gave for invading Iraq (Shock and Awesome), resulting in the deaths of >100,000 Iraqi civilians. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War#Casualty_estimates

        Probably no one in the US administration intended for the ‘body count’ to get that high, but you never know.

  6. Exkiwiforces 6

    Yes Mike, it does have that 1914 feel about it and I must start to sound like a broken gramophone here at The Standard by now that our elected leaders are slowly sleep walking to war atm without realising it.

    It’s high time both NZ and Oz get out of the Sandpit and leave it to the Yanks and their Allies along with the Mad Mulah’s to slug it out for once and all.

    Heck even with a few cans of instant sunshine thrown around by the muppets in the sandpit might even slow down CC for once or the price POL products go through the roof might in courage high demand renewable energy sources/ products.

  7. WeTheBleeple 7

    Told y'all he would start a war just to stay in office. Now the office is threatened, hey presto. America's credibility is in tatters, watch the final threads break loose as this unfolds. Meanwhile, the actual people who want none of this, those 180 million odd Americans with half a clue, dragged along for the ride by this adult child's tantrums. The whole world must suffer because Trump got caught cheating. This is exactly what a rich prick looks like, I've met a few.

  8. Puckish Rogue 8

    Sorry but its one less dead terrorist and Iran can say what it likes in public but in private they'll know what can happen if they step out of line too much

    You attack a countries embassy you attack the country, Trumps response was proportionate and sent a clear message about consequences of actions

    • Robert Guyton 8.1

      "Out of line"

      Whose "line"?

    • Sorry but its one less dead terrorist…

      To the extent that senior leadership of the Iranian military can be labelled "terrorists," so can the leadership of the US military. Is it good if people start assassinating them too?

      You attack a countries embassy you attack the country…

      More accurately, if some dudes stage a protest at a country's embassy, some dude in a third country has attacked that country? Calling that a non sequitur feels over-generous.

      • Puckish Rogue 8.2.1

        They killed an American, it wasnt a peaceful protest

        • adam 8.2.1.1

          Totally agree Puckish Rouge when an American dies, and we should kill the person who perpetrated the heinous act.

          To that end I think we need to send a drone towards Jeff Bezos at once! And wipe the vile killer of Americans off the face of the planet.

          https://nypost.com/2019/10/19/amazon-workers-forced-to-go-back-to-work-after-fellow-employee-dies-on-shift/

          [Please tell us that that was sarcasm and not an incitement to violence. Jeff Bezos hasn’t ordered any killings, has he? Please watch your language – Incognito]

          • Puckish Rogue 8.2.1.1.1

            No arguments here

          • Incognito 8.2.1.1.2

            See my Moderation 4:42 PM.

            • adam 8.2.1.1.2.1

              If you did not read that as the bitterly stupid logical conclusion of Puckish Rouges vacuous argument, then I do truly have to worry Incognito.

              • Incognito

                With some comments, it is hard to tell, sometimes.

                With some commenters, it is hard to tell, sometimes.

                Ambiguity has its place, sometimes.

        • Andre 8.2.1.2

          In all the reports I've seen about the Baghdad embassy protest, there were no deaths or even injuries reported. On the scale of shit going down in the Middle East, that counts as remarkably low-violence.

          The protests were claimed to be a response to airstrikes on Iran-aligned militias in Iraq that killed 25 …

          which were in turn claimed to be in response to a rocket attack on a US base in Iraq which killed 1 US civilian contractor and injured several other Americans …

          which was in turn claimed to be a response to … well, the chain goes all the way back to Donny Dotard trashing the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018.

          https://time.com/5757228/us-iran-events-timeline/

    • Macro 8.3

      And now we await the response from Iran.

    • LILMAN 8.4

      Yes I agree, the POTUS has done a good thing,Obama was a coward,remember his red line in Syria?

      Children and civilians died because he was gutless,at least Trump made Iran pay a price and just maybe force Iranian Leaders to think again.

  9. Sabine 9

    so Iraq – thanks to false information and outright lying to the public, the UN, the allies and all that shit – invaded and fucked up beyond believe

    Afghanistan – thanks to the same – invaded – again i might add – and fucked for the third generation.

    Syria – see above – also fucked beyond believe

    Lebanon – see above

    Yemen – well the Saudis got to loose that war, but see above and fucked and starved for shits n giggles

    and yet, our resident 101 Key board warriors scream their tiny little heads of in delight that the US – occupying the country the illegally invaded and destroyed – targets an invited foreign national akin to a Vice Premier Minister such as Winston – cause the fat fuck in the oval office once more can't shit, or can't flush his shit down the toilet, or can't get his daughter or his wife to fuck him, or because Pelosi lives rent free in the empty cavity beneath the birdsnest he calls hair.

    And our 101 Key board brigade is creaming themselves cause 'killing Iranians is good'.

    Anyone please care to point out which country Iran has invaded? Invaded under false premises? Destroyed beyond believe? Anyone please? Fucking please?

    Good grief. Good fucking grief, are people so bored with their little lives that they clamor for a war?

    WE are so fucked.

    • Bazza64 9.1

      Comparing Soleimani to Winston Peters is a bit of a stretch. One sleeps while overseas, the other is the head of armed forces of a religious theocracy hell bent on spreading their brand of religion & terrorism across the middle east.

      Trump had previously shown restraint, but now the US have acted (who knows it could escalate terribly) as they warned Iran they would.

      Iran probably want a war too – will take the focus off their domestic problems & medieval regime (medieval except for their weapons)

      • francesca 9.1.1

        He (Suleimani )was also the head and strategist of armed forces hugely instrumental in defeating IS in Iraq

      • So maybe swap Winstons name for any Chief of Staff of the United States Army or United States Secretary of Defense..all people.. hell bent on spreading their brand of Corporate Democracy & terror across the middle east…

    • james 9.2

      "cause the fat fuck in the oval office once more can't shit, or can't flush his shit down the toilet, or can't get his daughter or his wife to fuck him, or because Pelosi lives rent free in the empty cavity beneath the birdsnest he calls hair."

      I think we have hit peak hysteria.

      Chill – its the weekend.

  10. Sacha 10

    Legality is not a useful way to approach this when you are dealing with an aggressor that has long explicitly rejected the jurisdiction of world courts.

    Argue it is wrong on other grounds (not that what we say here will make the slightest difference to what unfolds next).

  11. Andre 11

    There were some in Congress that saw something like this coming, and made a feeble attempt to put a leash on the terracotta turdface. But they got voted down anyway.

    https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/1/3/21048098/iran-qassem-soleimani-ndaa-2019-vote-ro-khanna-aumf

  12. I can't believe that anyone in their right minds(uh oh) can want a war in this region If insurers will no longer insure for the Hormuz strait what happens to the world economy?

    This kind of drama should be propelling govts much faster towards a non fossil fuel economy

    • Andre 12.1

      Your mistake is thinking there's some kind of big picture or strategic thinking behind it. There isn't. There is only what makes the tangerine toddler feel good in the moment. Even if it's just a spreading feeling of warmth in his nappy.

      https://www.salon.com/2020/01/03/heres-the-big-question-how-does-trump-personally-benefit-from-war-with-iran/

    • francesca 12.2

      Gawd! Like a sitcom

      Four Years Ago, Trump Had No Clue Who Iran’s Suleimani Was. Now He May Have Kicked Off WWIII.

      Mehdi Hasan

      January 4 2020, 2:56 a.m.

      US President Donald Trump makes a video call to the troops stationed worldwide at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach Florida, on December 24, 2019. (Photo by Nicholas Kamm / AFP) (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

      President Donald Trump makes a video call to the troops stationed worldwide at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 24, 2019.

      Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

      IN SEPTEMBER 2015, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump appeared on the syndicated radio show of conservative media star, Hugh Hewitt, to talk foreign policy.

      “Are you familiar with General Suleimani?” Hewitt asked the real estate mogul from Queens.

      “Yes,” said Trump, before hesitating. “Go ahead, give me a little … tell me.”

      When Hewitt told Trump that Suleimani “runs the Quds Forces,” Trump responded: “I think the Kurds, by the way, have been horribly mistreated by us.”

      “No, not the Kurds, the Quds Forces,” Hewitt interjected. “The Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Quds Forces. The bad guys.”

      “I thought you said Kurds,” a sheepish Trump replied.

      • Sacha 12.2.1

        Further protestations of the cheeto-in-chief's innocence:

        https://twitter.com/dcpoll/status/1213104654172794880

      • Bill 12.2.2

        You'd have thought (putting myself in the Oval Office) that if I sat there and said I had this great idea about drone striking Soleimani, that there would be at least one adviser telling me I was being a dick and laying out why.

        But if I'm in the Oval Office and don't really have a handle on the details, then I can see how I might be gamed by various advisers to drone strike the guy.

        It wouldn't surprise me if the second scenario is fairly close to what happened. It doesn't make me innocent, and illustrates why Congressional oversight needs to be exercised by the clowns people elected to office.

        If they refuse to do that, aren't they all as culpable as Trump?

    • Stuart Munro 12.3

      One would expect they'd've been pursuing such a policy well before a compelling political emergency arose – but of course they'll have been doing nothing as usual.

      Peter Bethune was chasing it up back in 2004 and concluded that hydrogen as a fuel was a dead-end, but that biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol could become mainstream in use. (wikipedia)

      Whatever coherence may have existed in US middle eastern policy prior to Trump is long gone, which will move things toward physical rather than rational resolutions.

  13. Fireblade 13

    New U.S. air raid close to Camp Taji in Iraq.

    "Iraqi official says air raid hit cars carrying Iran-backed militia north of Baghdad"

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/air-raid-targets-hashd-commander-iraq-state-tv-200103233605393.html

  14. infused 14

    It's about time the US grew some balls.

    Iran ain't going to do a thing.

    • joe90 14.1

      Yeah, and these blokes are going for the sun, surf and sand.

      /

      https://twitter.com/ginaaharkins/status/1213186133720481792

    • Barfly 14.2

      and if they do….u looking fwd 2 $300 per barrel oil?

      • adam 14.2.1

        Look forward to no oil, the US military has low reserves – and can not do any more than a few days of combat.

        If this blows up, forget going to the pump.

        • joe90 14.2.1.1

          The US military uses around 100 million barrels annually. The US has around 650 million barrels of oil in reserve.

          They ain't running out anytime soon.

          • John Clover 14.2.1.1.1

            Thank you for those figures Joe90.

            I get rather tired of all these silly comments about Trump… grow up folk, it doesn't help with the discussion and is foolish and un productive name calling. What children do before they grow up, if they do.

            • Incognito 14.2.1.1.1.1

              Lowering the level of discourse is a deliberate strategy AKA as dumbing down. At the same time we are distracted, numbed down, fooled, and turned off. If we all think and act as little children, it is lot easier for the elites to continue their nefarious business.

  15. Its going to take the mother of all conspiracy theories to somehow find Putin behind all this There'll be some contortionist out there to do it

    After all,Trump does nothing without Putin's say so, and if Putin says go and attack my crucial ally in the Caucasus and Syria, Trumpy will do it

    Do I need a sarc tag?

  16. joe90 19

    Used him him when they needed him and then assassinated him as a distraction.

    His enormous influence has even led to limited cooperation with the Americans. In spite of his involvement in attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, and his unconcealed loathing for the U.S., Soleimani cooperated with the Americans to elect Iraq’s interim prime minister in 2010. At the U.S.'s request, Soleimani also ordered the Mahdi Army, led by the separatist Iraqi Shi’ite Muqtada al-Sadr, to stop attacking American targets in Baghdad. And when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Iranian officials – on Soleimani’s orders – gave American representatives a map of Taliban bases to target in Afghanistan.

    On at least two occasions, American forces could have killed Soleimani but refrained, due mainly to considerations of local politics and Washington’s desire to preserve the undercover cooperation with Tehran in the war against ISIS in Iraq.

    https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/iran/qassem-soleimani-iran-quds-force-that-attacked-israel-trump-killed-in-iraq-1.6075565

  17. joe90 20

    But..but…he’ll never go for that, it’s way too out there.

    https://twitter.com/EvanMcMullin/status/1213645534063419393

    • Andre 20.1

      There's been a steady escalation of what the tinyfingers twittertwat needs to do to provoke sufficient outrage to distract from his other current problems. I'm seriously worried we're now only a few steps away from him indulging his nukes curiosity to distract and look tough.

      • pat 20.1.1

        are nukes used exclusively at the whim of the President?….or is there some form of cross confirmation from another party?

      • McFlock 20.1.2

        And I'm worried that by now everyone who would have had the gumption to stop him has been replaced by toadies.

  18. Rosie Bradbury 21

    RIP the Grandduke Ferdinand, RIP the Western World.

  19. John Clover 22

    Iran has been thumping its whats-it at America with the US playing it cool so it is about time they showed Iran what to expect it they continue. The problem will come from all the small groups looking to have the 'west' on.

  20. Muttonbird 23

    I read a headline the other day which claimed the only person who could bring down Trump is Bolton.

    Now Trump is executing Bolton's innermost desires.

    Coincidence?

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    David Farrar writes  –  1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago
  • Top 10 at 10 am for Thursday, Nov 30
    There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    10 hours ago
  • Gordon Campbell on how climate change threatens cricket‘s future
    Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...
    10 hours ago
  • We need to talk about Tory.
    The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    12 hours ago
  • Dangling Transport Solutions
    Cable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...
    12 hours ago
  • November AMA
    Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    14 hours ago
  • National’s early moves adding to cost of living pressure
    The cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    14 hours ago
  • Backwards to the future
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    15 hours ago
  • New initiatives in science and technology could point the way ahead for Luxon government
    As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some  of  the  economic issues  confronting  New Zealand. It may take time for some new  ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the  changes that  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    1 day ago
  • Treaty pledge to secure funding is contentious – but is Peters being pursued by a lynch mob after ...
    TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • How long does this last?
    I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • National’s giveaway politics
    We already know that national plans to boost smoking rates to collect more tobacco tax so they can give huge tax-cuts to mega-landlords. But this morning that policy got even more obscene - because it turns out that the tax cut is retrospective: Residential landlords will be able to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER: Who’s driving the right-wing bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In 2023, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS:  Media knives flashing for Luxon’s government
    The fear and loathing among legacy journalists is astonishing Graham Adams writes – No one is going to die wondering how some of the nation’s most influential journalists personally view the new National-led government. It has become abundantly clear within a few days of the coalition agreements ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    1 day ago
  • Top 10 news links for Wednesday, Nov 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere for Wednesday November 29, including:The early return of interest deductibility for landlords could see rebates paid on previous taxes and the cost increase to $3 billion from National’s initial estimate of $2.1 billion, CTU Economist Craig Renney estimated here last ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Smokefree Fallout and a High Profile Resignation.
    The day after being sworn in the new cabinet met yesterday, to enjoy their honeymoon phase. You remember, that period after a new government takes power where the country, and the media, are optimistic about them, because they haven’t had a chance to stuff anything about yet.Sadly the nuptials complete ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • As Cabinet revs up, building plans go on hold
    Wellington Council hoardings proclaim its preparations for population growth, but around the country councils are putting things on hold in the absence of clear funding pathways for infrastructure, and despite exploding migrant numbers. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Cabinet meets in earnest today to consider the new Government’s 100-day ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • National takes over infrastructure
    Though New Zealand First may have had ambitions to run the infrastructure portfolios, National would seem to have ended up firmly in control of them.  POLITIK has obtained a private memo to members of Infrastructure NZ yesterday, which shows that the peak organisation for infrastructure sees  National MPs Chris ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • At a glance – Evidence for global warming
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    2 days ago
  • Who’s Driving The Right-Wing Bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In ...
    2 days ago
  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • National’s murderous smoking policy
    One of the big underlying problems in our political system is the prevalence of short-term thinking, most usually seen in the periodic massive infrastructure failures at a local government level caused by them skimping on maintenance to Keep Rates Low. But the new government has given us a new example, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • NZ has a chance to rise again as our new government gets spending under control
    New Zealand has  a chance  to  rise  again. Under the  previous  government, the  number of New Zealanders below the poverty line was increasing  year by year. The Luxon-led government  must reverse that trend – and set about stabilising  the  pillars  of the economy. After the  mismanagement  of the outgoing government created   huge ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    2 days ago
  • KARL DU FRESNE: Media and the new government
    Two articles by Karl du Fresne bring media coverage of the new government into considerations.  He writes –    Tuesday, November 28, 2023 The left-wing media needed a line of attack, and they found one The left-wing media pack wasted no time identifying the new government’s weakest point. Seething over ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • PHILIP CRUMP:  Team of rivals – a CEO approach to government leadership
    The work begins Philip Crump wrote this article ahead of the new government being sworn in yesterday – Later today the new National-led coalition government will be sworn in, and the hard work begins. At the core of government will be three men – each a leader ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Black Friday
    As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...
    Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
    2 days ago
  • In Defense of the Media.
    Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Tuesday, Nov 28
    Nicola Willis’ first move was ‘spilling the tea’ on what she called the ‘sobering’ state of the nation’s books, but she had better be able to back that up in the HYEFU. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • PT use up but fare increases coming
    Yesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had. That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ...
    2 days ago
  • The very opposite of social investment
    Nicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Giving Tuesday
    For the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical Science Skeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...
    3 days ago
  • Let's open the books with Nicotine Willis
    Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Stopping oil
    National is promising to bring back offshore oil and gas drilling. Naturally, the Greens have organised a petition campaign to try and stop them. You should sign it - every little bit helps, and as the struggle over mining conservation land showed, even National can be deterred if enough people ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Don’t accept Human Rights Commission reading of data on Treaty partnership – read the survey fin...
    Wellington is braced for a “massive impact’ from the new government’s cutting public service jobs, The Post somewhat grimly reported today. Expectations of an economic and social jolt are based on the National-Act coalition agreement to cut public service numbers in each government agency in a cost-trimming exercise  “informed by” head ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • The stupidest of stupid reasons
    One of the threats in the National - ACT - NZ First coalition agreements was to extend the term of Parliament to four years, reducing our opportunities to throw a bad government out. The justification? Apparently, the government thinks "elections are expensive". This is the stupidest of stupid reasons for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • A website bereft of buzz
    Buzz from the Beehive The new government was being  sworn in, at time of writing , and when Point of Order checked the Beehive website for the latest ministerial statements and re-visit some of the old ones we drew a blank. We found ….  Nowt. Nothing. Zilch. Not a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • MICHAEL BASSETT: A new Ministry – at last
    Michael Bassett writes – Like most people, I was getting heartily sick of all the time being wasted over the coalition negotiations. During the first three weeks Winston grinned like a Cheshire cat, certain he’d be needed; Chris Luxon wasted time in lifting the phone to Winston ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Luxon's Breakfast.
    The Prime Minister elect had his silver fern badge on. He wore it to remind viewers he was supporting New Zealand, that was his team. Despite the fact it made him look like a concierge, or a welcomer in a Koru lounge. Anna Burns-Francis, the Breakfast presenter, asked if he ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL:  Oranga Tamariki faces major upheaval under coalition agreement
     Lindsay Mitchell writes – A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading ‘Oranga Tamariki’ ACT’s coalition agreement contains the following item:   Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 According to Oranga Tamariki:     “Section ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON:  Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record. Brian Easton writes – 1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Cathrine Dyer's guide to watching COP 28 from the bottom of a warming planet
    Is COP28 largely smoke and mirrors and a plan so cunning, you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel? Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: COP28 kicks off on November 30 and up for negotiation are issues like the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition, contributions to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Monday, Nov 27
    PM Elect Christopher Luxon was challenged this morning on whether he would sack Adrian Orr and Andrew Coster.TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am on Monday November 27, including:Signs councils are putting planning and capital spending on hold, given a lack of clear guidance ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the new government’s policies of yesteryear
    This column expands on a Werewolf column published by Scoop on Friday Routinely, Winston Peters is described as the kingmaker who gets to decide when the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded but equally important role as the ...
    3 days ago
  • The New Government’s Agreements
    Last Friday, almost six weeks after election day, National finally came to an agreement with ACT and NZ First to form a government. They also released the agreements between each party and looking through them, here are the things I thought were the most interesting (and often concerning) from the. ...
    4 days ago
  • How many smokers will die to fund the tax cuts?
    Maori and Pasifika smoking rates are already over twice the ‘all adult’ rate. Now the revenue that generates will be used to fund National’s tax cuts. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The devil is always in the detail and it emerged over the weekend from the guts of the policy agreements National ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How the culture will change in the Beehive
    Perhaps the biggest change that will come to the Beehive as the new government settles in will be a fundamental culture change. The era of endless consultation will be over. This looks like a government that knows what it wants to do, and that means it knows what outcomes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • No More Winnie Blues.
    So what do you think of the coalition’s decision to cancel Smokefree measures intended to stop young people, including an over representation of Māori, from taking up smoking? Enabling them to use the tax revenue to give other people a tax cut?David Cormack summed it up well:It seems not only ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 19, 2023 thru Sat, Nov 25, 2023.  Story of the Week World stands on frontline of disaster at Cop28, says UN climate chief  Exclusive: Simon Stiell says leaders must ‘stop ...
    5 days ago
  • Some of it is mad, some of it is bad and some of it is clearly the work of people who are dangerous ...
    On announcement morning my mate texted:Typical of this cut-price, fake-deal government to announce itself on Black Friday.What a deal. We lose Kim Hill, we gain an empty, jargonising prime minister, a belligerent conspiracist, and a heartless Ayn Rand fanboy. One door closes, another gets slammed repeatedly in your face.It seems pretty ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • “Revolution” is the threat as the Māori Party smarts at coalition government’s Treaty directi...
    Buzz from the Beehive Having found no fresh announcements on the government’s official website, Point of Order turned today to Scoop’s Latest Parliament Headlines  for its buzz. This provided us with evidence that the Māori Party has been soured by the the coalition agreement announced yesterday by the new PM. “Soured” ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The Good, the Bad, and the even Worse.
    Yesterday the trio that will lead our country unveiled their vision for New Zealand.Seymour looking surprisingly statesmanlike, refusing to rise to barbs about his previous comments on Winston Peters. Almost as if they had just been slapstick for the crowd.Winston was mostly focussed on settling scores with the media, making ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • When it Comes to Palestine – Free Speech is Under Threat
    Hi,Thanks for getting amongst Mister Organ on digital — thanks to you, we hit the #1 doc spot on iTunes this week. This response goes a long way to helping us break even.I feel good about that. Other things — not so much.New Zealand finally has a new government, and ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Thank you Captain Luxon. Was that a landing, or were we shot down?
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Also in More Than A FeildingFriday The unboxing And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Cans of Worms.
    “And there’ll be no shortage of ‘events’ to test Luxon’s political skills. David Seymour wants a referendum on the Treaty. Winston wants a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Labour’s handling of the Covid crisis. Talk about cans of worms!”LAURIE AND LES were very fond of their local. It was nothing ...
    6 days ago
  • Disinformation campaigns are undermining democracy. Here’s how we can fight back
    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Misinformation is debated everywhere and has justifiably sparked concerns. It can polarise the public, reduce health-protective behaviours such as mask wearing and vaccination, and erode trust in science. Much of misinformation is spread not ...
    6 days ago
  • Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record.1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is not even an entry in Wikipedia. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago
  • The New Government: 2023 Edition
    So New Zealand has a brand-spanking new right-wing government. Not just any new government either. A formal majority coalition, of the sort last seen in 1996-1998 (our governmental arrangements for the past quarter of a century have been varying flavours of minority coalition or single-party minority, with great emphasis ...
    6 days ago
  • The unboxing
    And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the tree with its gold ribbon but can turn out to be nothing more than a big box holding a voucher for socks, so it ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • A cruel, vicious, nasty government
    So, after weeks of negotiations, we finally have a government, with a three-party cabinet and a time-sharing deputy PM arrangement. Newsroom's Marc Daalder has put the various coalition documents online, and I've been reading through them. A few things stand out: Luxon doesn't want to do any work, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Hurrah – we have a new government (National, ACT and New Zealand First commit “to deliver for al...
    Buzz from the Beehive Sorry, there has been  no fresh news on the government’s official website since the caretaker trade minister’s press statement about the European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement. But the capital is abuzz with news – and media comment is quickly flowing – after ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon – NZ PM #42.
    Nothing says strong and stable like having your government announcement delayed by a day because one of your deputies wants to remind everyone, but mostly you, who wears the trousers. It was all a bit embarrassing yesterday with the parties descending on Wellington before pulling out of proceedings. There are ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Coalition Government details policies & ministers
    Winston Peters will be Deputy PM for the first half of the Coalition Government’s three-year term, with David Seymour being Deputy PM for the second half. Photo montage by Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: PM-Elect Christopher Luxon has announced the formation of a joint National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government with a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • “Old Coat” by Peter, Paul & Mary.
     THERE ARE SOME SONGS that seem to come from a place that is at once in and out of the world. Written by men and women who, for a brief moment, are granted access to that strange, collective compendium of human experience that comes from, and belongs to, all the ...
    6 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 23-November-2023
    It’s Friday again! Maybe today we’ll finally have a government again. Roll into the weekend with some of the articles that caught our attention this week. And as always, feel free to add your links and observations in the comments. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    7 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s strategy for COP28 in Dubai
    The COP28 countdown is on. Over 100 world leaders are expected to attend this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which starts next Thursday. Among the VIPs confirmed for the Dubai summit are the UK’s Rishi Sunak and Brazil’s Lula da Silva – along ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    7 days ago
  • Coalition talks: a timeline
    Media demand to know why a coalition government has yet to be formed. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    7 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Nov 24
    Luxon was no doubt relieved to be able to announce a coalition agreement has been reached, but we still have to wait to hear the detail. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Passing Things Down.
    Keeping The Past Alive: The durability of Commando comics testifies to the extended nature of the generational passing down of the images, music, and ideology of the Second World War. It has remained fixed in the Baby Boomers’ consciousness as “The Good War”: the conflict in which, to a far ...
    7 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47 2023
    Open access notables How warped are we by fossil fuel dependency? Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 35-40 million cubic meters per day of Russian natural gas are piped across Ukraine for European consumption every single day, right now. In order to secure European cooperation against Russian aggression, Ukraine must help to ...
    7 days ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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