Rather Than Sending Troops To Iraq … Brownlee May Wish To Consider Better Force Recon!

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hall

There’s something a little unsettling going on at the moment. Ok, many somethings.

Of particular concern is the fact that right now, New Zealand troops are training at Waiouru for deployment to Iraq – and, assumedly, the ongoing war against ISIS.

Brownlee, of course, denies this is happening. Although it would appear that his office didn’t *quite* get the memo

So where are we at? The New Zealand Defence Force is undertaking  training for a deployment to Iraq. “Contingency” training? Or preparation for joining our domineering TPPA partners in yet another illustrious attempt at Peace Through Superior Firepower.

Either way, it would appear that Defence Minister  Gerry Brownlee hasn’t exactly been straight-up about what’s going on here. Recent statements made in Parliament by this “honourable” member suggested rather strongly that *no* pre-deployment training for Iraq was being undertaken.

Fortunately, New Zealand First’s sources have kept us abreast of developments straight form the get-go – and told us that a company-sized force of up to 150 Kiwi troops had been undergoing training for deployment to Iraq from as late as mid-November.

So either we have a situation wherein a newly-elected Opposition MP is considerably better informed as to the interior goings on and force goings-on of the New Zealand Defence Force than the Minister responsible is (possible – we’re well connected); or, somewhat more likely, somebody’s trying to pull that fine sheep-derived fiber-export we’re so renowned for *directly* over the body politik’s eyes about ensnaring New Zealand in what will become a deeply unpopular foreign war that we really have very little prima-facie reason to become directly involved in.

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Brownlee’s knowledge of all things NZ[D]F continued to be shown up in the House by Major Mark during the same exchange, when the aforementioned Illiterate Woodwork Teacher demonstrated a habitual National Party grasp of facts … by trying to diminish Ron Mark’s extensive and transcontinental military service and confusing him with fellow NZ First MP (and one of my favourites of the new intake – one to watch) Darroch Ball.

For the record: Ron Mark is, if you will, a bit of a Parliamentary bad-arse. He spent 15 years in the NZ Army, having joined up at age 16; and with a service record that includes much time with the Special Air Service and more than a year’s worth of overseas deployments  with our Army to the Middle East. His CV also includes an additional half-decade stint in the military of the Sultanate of Oman – first in the Sultanate’s Land Forces, and then in their Special Forces. 

So when it comes to discussing the relative merits of deploying Kiwi troops to Iraq, I *suspect* that I might *just* place *slightly* more credence in the contacts, information and analysis of a former New Zealand soldier with extensive deployment experience in the Middle East … over the breathless assurances of a perniciously treasonous former financial trader, and a man whose greatest contribution to national security thus far was the $2000 fine to the Civil Aviation Authority he coughed up for breaching airport security at Christchurch Airport. 

Oh and, as you may have noticed … nowhere on Mark’s resume does there appear the title “storeman”.

In fact, the closest thing we have to one of those in Caucus at the moment is first term NZ First MP Darroch Ball – who, in a previous life, was a commissioned officer with the 3rd Logistics Battalion, before discovering a serious and admirable passion for working with youth – first through the Army, and then in a subsequent career as a high-school teacher.. And even then … “commissioned officer” =/= “storeman”, any more than “Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act” equated to “rule of law” …

In any case, this is evidently how the Nats intend to prosecute their pre-War campaign. Through lies, deceptions, falsehoods, iniquities, and inaccuracies. How else to explain Brownlee hamfistedly attempting to denigrate in the Parliamentary and popular record the real nature of Ron Mark’s actual military service when the latter presents evidence of the Minister’s duplicity.

We’re rapidly reaching a point wherein every time I hear a Nat MP assure us that they haven’t made a decision to send “boots on the ground” to Iraq, I think of this… 

8 COMMENTS

  1. Hi, Curwen.

    Congratulations – plus heaps! Shortish, pithy and bristling with citations from all over, this seems more like something worthy of your talents.

    I’d still like to know why Mr Peters went on record as encouraging TTT voters not to support Mr Harawira. The matter you describe is serious and needs all the attack helicopters available to keep drawing attention to it. If after Mr Peters had strategically been ejected for the latest time, there were Mr Minto still in there making caustic polite comments, there would seem to be more potential for progress.

    Those of us who do anything like the research you do already know these guys are a pack of liars. There seems no need for more evidence of that, but rather more focus on just how to make their lies start costing them more. Being attacked from more angles (more minor parties) would seem to be a good start.

  2. and when the bullets start flying , the bombs start raining down and the RPG’s start popping ?

    We should buy shares .

    Israeli arms dealers .

    http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2014/05/lab-20145475423526313.html

    Where there’s muck there’s brass .

    http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/where-there-s-muck-there-s-brass

    This is no fairy tale . This is no movie where Good triumphs over Evil .

    I say we pull brownlee out of his circus tent that is his suit and attack the bastard with an industrial grade liposuction machine .

  3. Can anything good ever come out of Bumbling Brownlee?

    Ask the people of Christchurch or airport security staff.

    Its hardly a fair contest between Ron Mark and Gerry EQC ‘mover and shaker slip through the back door ‘ Brownlee now , is it.

    That’s a bit like trying to compare Mother Theresa with John xKEYscore in the truth and integrity stakes when Key was caught out lying about surveillance and contacting Rancidoil ,- and almost as funny.

  4. But here I must add also….I was very disappointed in Winston over Te Tai Tokerau. Playing right into the neo liberals hands.

    He would have far better served the Left by at least remaining neutral and not enabling the ‘prime minister’ of the most corrupt govt this nation has ever known.

    Or perhaps even that is up for contention according to the Double Dipper from Dipton , Bill English. The man who once stated ‘ We should be glad we have a ‘ LOW WAGE ECONOMY ‘ because it encourages foreign investment.

    Perhaps he should say that in front of a crowd of low paid union workers, – then tell them again how he shafted the taxpayers to the tune of around $750.00 per week in housing claims.

    If your going to write articles in defense of your party,…it would behoove you to remember the type of snakes that oppose you. And remember who your friends really are.

  5. Brownlee’s statements certainly do seem to be at odds with the facts. His reaction to the information that the Defence Force was training for such a deployment seemed like that of a person who has been caught out telling an untruth.

    It would be in keeping with the National Party’s track record for them to claim one thing and then do another. I suspect like you that the trainers who are going to be deployed behind the mythical wire, will quickly turn into fighting forces ready for battle.

    A humanitarian and diplomatic response would have been a better option to choose if we’re looking to actually make a positive contribution to the awful situation in Syria/Iraq.

  6. Gerry Brownlee, John Key etc seem to have no idea they are dropping New Zealand troops into a “heart of darkness” scenario (Joseph Conrad by way of Apocalypse Now)

    • They have EVERY IDEA of what they are doing.

      Human life means less to them than their thug neo liberal political aims of being a puppet to American foreign interests and being part of the New World Order which George Bush Senior mentioned in the first war against Irag.

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