Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee 'confident' about troops

Minister of Defense Gerry Brownlee. Photo / Wong Maye-E, AP

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says he's confident in measures in place to protect Kiwi troops in Iraq.

Mr Brownlee has returned from a secret 48-hour visit to New Zealand Defence Force personnel who are working to train Iraqi forces in Taji, near Baghdad.

He told TVNZ's Q+A there could be cells of ISIL supporters active in the area, but he was confident in the way the risks were being managed.

Troops in Taji were working in a compound with a secure, patrolled, perimeter and were housed under "two feet of concrete," he said.

He also praised the New Zealand and Australian troops for how they had developed a rapport with the Iraq soldiers, including learning to give instructions in Arabic.

Mr Brownlee told Q+A that the troops were happy to be putting their skills to use, but concerned about how their mission is viewed in New Zealand.

"I suppose what they were most interested in is what people thought about what they're doing back here."

Mr Brownlee hit back at comments made by NZ First MP Ron Mark that Iraqi troops were "cowards" and didn't have the will to fight.

"In that environment, with all the tension that's there in a war zone, I certainly would not look into the eyes of those young recruits and call them cowards, far from it," he said.

"They looked to me pretty damn determined."

The ISIL takeover of Ramadi has brought them within 80km of the Taji base, where New Zealand has 140 personnel stationed alongside Australian forces.