100 signatures reached
To: Minister of Defence Ron Mark
NZ Troops Out of Iraq
Immediately withdraw the 45 NZDF troops currently stationed at Camp Taji, Iraq
Why is this important?
On 6 January, the Iraqi Parliament passed a resolution calling on the government to end all foreign troop presence in Iraq and cancel its request for assistance from the US-led coalition which had been working with Baghdad to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). NZ is part of that coalition.
The move comes after Iranian Major-General Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were assassinated near Baghdad's international airport in an air strike ordered by US President Donald Trump. This act has no legal basis either in US or international law.
The entire basis on which the deployment was premised was that it had the consent of the Iraqi government. This is no longer the situation. To stay indicates New Zealand’s loyalty to the US-led mission over the request of the Iraqi government. Further, to ignore the democratically elected government of Iraq’s request to withdraw NZ troops would make them, by default, a force of occupation and a major departure from the principles of the United Nations.
The NZ deployment is due to end in June. The final rotation of 45 troops only just arrived in December. Bringing this date forward is one small way to respect Iraqi sovereignty and ensure that NZ does not become involved in a new US-led war on Iran.
This petition is organised by Auckland Peace Action and Peace Action Wellington
Read More:
Iraqi parliament calls for expulsion of foreign troops
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/iraqi-parliament-calls-expulsion-foreign-troops-200105150709628.html
Fears for safety of NZ troops amid rising Iran-US hostility
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/406753/fears-for-safety-of-nz-troops-amid-rising-iran-us-hostility
With Suleimani Assassination, Trump Is Doing the Bidding of Washington’s Most Vile Cabal
https://theintercept.com/2020/01/03/qassim-suleimani-assassination-trump-administration-war/
The move comes after Iranian Major-General Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were assassinated near Baghdad's international airport in an air strike ordered by US President Donald Trump. This act has no legal basis either in US or international law.
The entire basis on which the deployment was premised was that it had the consent of the Iraqi government. This is no longer the situation. To stay indicates New Zealand’s loyalty to the US-led mission over the request of the Iraqi government. Further, to ignore the democratically elected government of Iraq’s request to withdraw NZ troops would make them, by default, a force of occupation and a major departure from the principles of the United Nations.
The NZ deployment is due to end in June. The final rotation of 45 troops only just arrived in December. Bringing this date forward is one small way to respect Iraqi sovereignty and ensure that NZ does not become involved in a new US-led war on Iran.
This petition is organised by Auckland Peace Action and Peace Action Wellington
Read More:
Iraqi parliament calls for expulsion of foreign troops
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/iraqi-parliament-calls-expulsion-foreign-troops-200105150709628.html
Fears for safety of NZ troops amid rising Iran-US hostility
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/406753/fears-for-safety-of-nz-troops-amid-rising-iran-us-hostility
With Suleimani Assassination, Trump Is Doing the Bidding of Washington’s Most Vile Cabal
https://theintercept.com/2020/01/03/qassim-suleimani-assassination-trump-administration-war/