PM rules out extending NZ's Iraq training

Prime Minister John Key has ruled out any extension to New Zealand's training mission to Iraq in duration or numbers. Photo / Getty Images

Prime Minister John Key has ruled out any extension to New Zealand's training mission to Iraq in duration or numbers, despite the United State increasing its training commitment by another 450.

"From New Zealand's point of view, there is no chance of us having mission creep," he told reporters yesterday in Christchurch. "We are there for a two-year period of time."

"We've got 146 people dedicated to that overall mission. That's enough."

Most of New Zealand's troops and support staff deployed to Camp Taji, 15km north of Baghdad, in May and are training Iraqi soldiers to combat Islamic State (Isil).

Mr Key was commenting in light of orders by United States President Barack Obama to send 450 more US troops to Iraq to set up a fifth training camp over the next six to eight weeks with the aim of integrating Sunni tribes into the Iraqi Army.

The new training site will be at al-Taqaddum in Anbar province.

The US already has 3100 troops in Iraq in a non-combat roles although it is conducting aerial surveillance and leading bombing missions on Isil targets.

The extension is a response to the recent capture of Ramadi by Isil from the Iraqi Army despite being well outnumbered.