This war's not going to plan, says Clark

By JOHN ARMSTRONG political editor

The Prime Minister has risked angering Washington by saying the war against Iraq is not going to plan.

"From all accounts, the war-gaming that had been done beforehand anticipated less resistance," Helen Clark told her post-Cabinet press conference.

The Iraqis' defiance had "stretched supply lines, made them more vulnerable", and that meant the allies were calling in many more troops.

Her remarks ran counter to those of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who has rejected criticism that he launched the war with insufficient ground strength.

Mr Rumsfeld, facing scrutiny over his influence on a war plan that involves far fewer troops than in the 1991 Gulf War, flatly denied reports that he had rejected advice from Pentagon planners for substantially more personnel and armour.

General Richard Myers, head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has also said the campaign is going according to plan, with US and British forces already in control of 40 per cent of Iraq.

Helen Clark said a range of planning scenarios should have anticipated resistance because Iraqis might feel motivated to fight for their country rather than the regime.

"I suspect that's what's happened."

The Prime Minister noted that the advent of suicide bombing in the war pointed to the problems the US would face once it occupied the country.

"Certainly the suicide bombing of the American troops is a new development, and I would think poses considerable difficulties for the occupation because with suicide bombings, every civilian in effect becomes a suspected belligerent."

Act's deputy leader, Ken Shirley, accused Helen Clark of "rubbing our traditional allies' noses in it".

"What on earth could the Prime Minister really gain by making the facile observation that 'resistance in Iraq is stronger than expected'? Does she want troops to withdraw, leaving Iraqis to a continuation of the brutal Saddam Hussein regime?

"Helen Clark has made it clear that she does not care about New Zealand's relationship with the US, the UK or Australia. She cares about gaining the peacenik vote at home, and seems determined to do so, no matter the outcome for New Zealand."

But the Greens' foreign affairs spokesman, Keith Locke, congratulated the Prime Minister for taking a strong anti-war position.

"With every passing day the folly of Bush's war becomes more exposed. The war is going badly, not because Iraqis support Saddam Hussein, but because they don't want to be colonised by the US.

Mr Locke said the Greens agreed with Helen Clark "that we can't trade soldiers' lives for a free-trade agreement with America."

Herald Feature: Iraq war