NZ chides US over war talk

By JOHN ARMSTRONG political editor

Foreign Minister Phil Goff has urged the United States to stick within the framework of the United Nations and allow more time for peaceful efforts to disarm Iraq to work.

The mild rebuke for Washington's go-it-alone war talk appeared to be an acknowledgment by the Government of strengthening anti-war sentiment in New Zealand.

In carefully co-ordinated speeches, Mr Goff and Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday also emphasised that UN weapons inspectors should be given more time to secure disarmament before the Security Council passed a further resolution authorising the use of force.

"The use of force is very much a last resort. It should only be contemplated when all other options have failed," Mr Goff said. "That point, in our opinion, has not yet been reached."

And if there was a war, he and Helen Clark indicated that New Zealand's military contribution would be at the "end stage" of the conflict, possibly in mine-clearing and peacekeeping roles.

"If the Security Council were to sanction the use of force, New Zealand as a United Nations member would be obliged to uphold the resolution, and would consider what contribution it could make," Helen Clark told the House, which met yesterday for the first time this year.

Delivering the Prime Minister's formal statement which kicks off proceedings for the year, she said that contribution would be most likely to be in the form of humanitarian, medical, or logistic support.

"It could probably most usefully be made at the end stage of the conflict when the huge task of meeting Iraq's needs for reconstruction and humanitarian support would have to be tackled by the international community."

Government officials were looking at how New Zealand could meet those needs following military action.

"The Defence Force's engineering and mine clearance expertise is well regarded in the UN and may be called on."



Reiterating her Government's opposition to unilateral action by the US, the Prime Minister said New Zealand recognised the Security Council could authorise the use of force as a last resort to uphold its resolutions.

"We do not believe such authorisation would be justified while weapons inspectors are still engaged fruitfully in their inspections with the objective of disarming Iraq, and we support them continuing their work."

But unless Iraq increased its level of co-operation with weapons inspectors, there was likely to be armed intervention with or without the backing of the Security Council.

"I repeat today our Government's call to Iraq to move rapidly to prevent the catastrophe which war would bring to its people."

Herald feature: Iraq