New Zealand, Australian defense ministers discuss ISIL moves

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com)- The defense ministers of New Zealand and Australia met Wednesday to discuss what action they will take in the fight against Islamic State insurgents in Iraq.

New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said the talks in Melbourne with Australian counterpart Kevin Andrews would cover a range of regional and international security issues, including the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the future defense capability projects.

“Australia is our closest security and trade partner and it is important we regularly share our perspectives on international defense and security,” Brownlee said in a statement from his office.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Ja’afari officially requested New Zealand military assistance in the fight against ISIL on a visit to Auckland last week during talks with Brownlee, Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Prime Minister John Key.

McCully said New Zealand would talk with Australia about the possibility of sending training troops to Iraq.

The government announced on Feb. 10 that New Zealand troops had begun contingency training for a deployment to Iraq.

Key has repeatedly ruled out New Zealand troops being involved in combat, and said that if troops were sent they would only train Iraqi troops.

The announcement fueled the controversy over the move, which, political opponents said, was planned and decided months ago.

On Monday, Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating announced he would this week attend a meeting in Saudi Arabia of defense chiefs who belong to the coalition against ISIL in Iraq.

The meeting was one of a series being held so coalition chiefs of defense could discuss the situation regarding ISIL.