NZ frigate to stay in war area

By THERESA GARNER

The 170 sailors on HMNZS Te Mana will remain in the Gulf of Oman during any US invasion of Iraq.

The frigate remains restricted to the Gulf and the strategically vital Straits of Hormuz as part of the "war against terrorism".

Other New Zealand defence personnel are leaving the Middle East but Minister of Defence Mark Burton says he expects the role of the Canadian-led taskforce, which includes countries that have resisted the use of force in Iraq, to remain unchanged.

"This includes providing safe passage against terrorists for the vessels of nations that are members of the Operation Enduring Freedom coalition."

It did not matter if the ships were carrying weapons to use in the war against Iraq because the taskforce did not differentiate between legal vessels in terms of their need for protection.

"The frigate is a mission-capable vessel, with all the necessary equipment to fulfil its tasks in a potentially risky environment."

Mr Burton said most of Te Mana's duties involved querying and boarding suspicious vessels in the Gulf.

"This is a crucial role in the global fight against terrorism and New Zealand's frigate will not be withdrawn.

"The Straits of Hormuz are an international strait of significant strategic importance to the entire world."

He told Parliament on Tuesday the ships involved in Operation Enduring Freedom were exercising a right of freedom of navigation in the strait's transit passage.

"The need to protect coalition vessels against terrorist attacks in my view remains as strong as ever and therefore the purpose of New Zealand's deployment remains just as relevant," he said.

Since December 2 until Tuesday, Te Kaha and Te Mana had carried out 1112 vessel identifications, made 97 boardings of suspicious vessels and escorted 31 ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

New Zealanders working in Iraq with the United Nations weapons inspection team have been evacuated from Iraq and could be back in New Zealand in a week.

The 12 were flown to Cyprus. Another New Zealander in the team was already out of the country.

Foreign Minister Phil Goff said he was relieved the UN had been able to get its people out without difficulty.

"With the situation deteriorating rapidly, there was a risk that the Iraqis may have tried to prevent them leaving."

There are 26 personnel working as support staff with the Multi-National Observers force based in the Sinai between Egypt and Israel.

There is no indication these personnel will be withdrawn, but they are operating under heightened security.

Another seven staff are working as UN military observers in UN Treaty Supervisory Organisation, based in Israel and Syria.

Greens foreign affairs spokesman Keith Locke has accused the Government of being "complicit" in the build-up to war against Iraq, and said Te Mana should come home.

"If war breaks out, we will escort warships going to the war. We are still not accepting the realities about what's bad about this war, and we shouldn't be complicit in any way." * New Zealanders in Middle Eastern countries have been told to stay away from bars and nightspots in the countdown to war. Some Westerners have been harassed.

Herald Feature: Iraq