NZ troops head to Iraq as UN pulls out

9.00am

Military engineers bound for troubled Iraq were this morning being farewelled at Ohakea airbase, near Bulls, by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Defence Minister Mark Burton.

The departure of the 61 engineers came as the United Nations withdrew staff from Iraq, following two bomb attacks on its compund in Baghdad.

New Zealand military are headed to the south of Iraq, on a mission that Mr Burton has called "extremely challenging".

They will work alongside British army engineers in an area that has been less prone to organised attacks on occupying forces.

The UN withdrawal came as the United States seeks a larger role for the UN in Iraq in response to international complaints about US control of postwar Iraq.

An August 19 suicide bomb attack on UN Baghdad headquarters killed 22 people including the head of the UN mission, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

A second bomb attack on the compound on Monday killed an Iraqi policeman and wounded 19 including local UN workers.

UN staffers were temporarily being redeployed to Amman, Jordan, a spokesman for the organisation said.

There was no comparison between the UN personnel being withdrawn and the army engineers heading for Iraq, Helen Clark told National Radio today.

UN staff were unarmed civilians, whereas the New Zealanders were armed, and permitted to defend themselves.

Nor would they encounter the level of danger encountered by American troops, who were in a more dangerous part of Iraq, she said.

"The Americans who are being tragically killed are those who are out on patrol, generally doing the law and order stabilisation work," she said.

"Our people are in reconstruction-humanitarian work, so it's a different kind of task.

"It is obviously a very difficult and challenging environment ... the overall threat is a level of high, and we must bear that in mind."

It was not anticipated that the troops would have to be pulled out "at this stage".

Under the rules of engagement, the New Zealand engineers will be allowed to use weapons in self defence.

Southern Iraq was this month reported to be relatively peaceful but the whole situation is seen by officials "fragile".

Helen Clark has said she would be guided on any future decisions on Iraq by the chief of the defence force.

Mr Burton has said the physical environment the engineers would be working in was "extremely challenging", with temperatures around 50degC.

After 20 years of conflict, there was little infrastructure or law and order, he said.

"We've got an over 50degC temperature, fuel problems, people can't get air conditioning working, water supply problems.

"Of course, we're concerned with any potential risk but what it seemed to be was not an organised military action and that was confirmed in the advice that I've had today."

It was intended the engineers would be fully operational October 14. They will be deployed for 12 months and there will be rotations during that time.

They will help restore essential services, repair buildings, bridges and police posts in Iraq, which was this year invaded by US-led forces.

- NZPA

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