US ties 'would increase terror threat'

Andrew Wilkie (left), with Rod Donald, praises New Zealand's anti-nuclear policy yesterday. Picture / Martin Sykes

A former intelligence official who quit his job over Australia's involvement in the Iraq war is in New Zealand to help fuel debate over the National Party's foreign policy.

Andrew Wilkie, a former Australian Defence Force Lieutenant Colonel, said the New Zealand Government's stance on Iraq, and this country's anti-nuclear policy, had kept us off the list of top terrorist targets.

"New Zealand faces no significant security threat at the moment, but cosying up to the United States as the National Party would have New Zealand do would increase the terrorist threat."

Mr Wilkie, who stood against Australian Prime Minister John Howard for the Australian Green Party last election, has been brought here by the Green Party.

He is a former senior intelligence adviser to the Australian Government, but quit the post in 2003 when it became clear Mr Howard would send combat troops to Iraq. He went to the media over doubts that Iraq was storing weapons of mass destruction, used to justify the invasion.

Mr Wilkie said New Zealand could not allow visits by US ships without compromising its anti-nuclear policy. "It's a nonsense to trust that the US will tell us there are no nuclear weapons."

Nuclear propulsion was not safe either, as such ships were targets for terrorist attacks.

Greens co-leader Rod Donald said Mr Wilkie's comments showed the danger of National's stance. "If our nuclear legislation was gone by lunchtime in an effort to cosy up to the Americans, our proud reputation as a committed opponent to nuclear proliferation would be trawled through the mud and Kiwis would become terrorist targets overnight."