Key contemplating role in "fight against ISIS" and taking away passports

Washington's man in the Beehive wants to commit NZ to war with ISIS . Most alarming is the repressive legislation that will follow - this discussions of taking passports away is the thin edge of the wedge

Cabinet to discuss passport restrictions

Prime Minister John Key will head to Cabinet tomorrow with a briefing paper arguing for swift changes to New Zealand's law on passports.

Prime Minister John Key says he is still considering options for New Zealand to support the fight against IS.

Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski

The proposal is related to New Zealanders potentially heading abroad to fight alongside Islamic State (IS) militants.

Mr Key told TVNZ's Q+A programme today that it was not illegal for people to head overseas and fight for a terrorist group.

He said it was illegal in Australia, however, and his officials believed a law change was needed here.

Mr Key said the relevant legislation had to be reviewed by June next year, following changes last year to New Zealand's spy laws, but his officials believed the Government should move more quickly.

"What the officials are saying to us is that the settings that we've currently got, particularly in relation to passports but also in a couple of other areas, potentially you could argue the case that the change should take place on a much quicker basis."

Mr Key said proposals which will go before Cabinet, include the ability to cancel the passports of New Zealanders wanting to join terrorist groups abroad.

Mr Key said another issue was what to do with local foreign fighters who had been in the Middle East and then decided to return home.

"Potentially we would have greater powers and potentially even powers to look at arresting someone under the view that they would undertake what would then be deemed to be a criminal act - so that's a very big step."

Mr Key said any changes would be short-term and Parliament would have to vote on them under urgency.

Need for caution - PM

The Prime Minister said the Government was still considering what action New Zealand might take to support the fight against IS in Syria and Iraq, and he had received a range of options from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But Mr Key said there was nothing specific so far and that there would be further consultation with his officials and the country's allies on what was appropriate.

"There is more work to be done and we need to engage, I think, with our partners and with others to consider, if New Zealand was to make a contribution, what would actually be useful, practical and work."

Mr Key said the options included humanitarian support and diplomacy as well as a possible military commitment, which might include training and support roles.

He said sending ground troops was possible but he would be very cautious about what action the country takes.

Mr Key said that while there are risks for New Zealanders in taking part in international efforts against IS, non-involvement also has consequences.

"If you don't stand up to a known terrorist group that is dangerous and growing at a frightening rate, the reason you don't do that is because you feel intimidated by them. Then, by definition, they are starting to control your foreign policy."

Mr Key said Parliament needed to debate its options and he was already speaking with Opposition parties.

PM still considering NZ's role in Isis fight

It would be "odd" for New Zealand not join the fight against ISIS when so many of our major trading partners were already involved, Prime Minister John Key said this morning.

NZ Herald,

12 October, 2014

Appearing on TVNZ's Q&A this morning, Prime Minister John Key said he was still considering what role New Zealand would take in the fight against the terrorist group and planned on discussing the terms of reference at the new Government's first cabinet meeting tomorrow morning.

"There is more work to be done and we need to engage I think with our partners and others to consider - if New Zealand was to make a contribution, what would actually be useful, practical and work."

The country had a large range of options when it came to dealing with ISIS, from humanitarian support - which was already underway, diplomacy and military options, Mr Key said.

"That could be anything from everything from the form of people going in and training right through to ultimately people that would be there right on the front line."

My Key declined to reveal what his preferred option would be.

"We have to be very careful and cautious about what we do."

"The real issue here - and it's a legitimate question for New Zealanders to ask - is should New Zealanders get involved?"

"There are definite risks there. I don't want to overstate those risks, but they are there. They're risks in terms of foreign fighters in New Zealand and they're either looking to leave or return.

"We're trying to get to a point where I can declassify that number to spell that out for people."

It would be "odd" for New Zealand did not join the fight against ISIS when so many of our major trading partners were already involved, he said.

"If you don't stand up to a known terrorist group that is dangerous and growing at a frightening rate, if the reason you don't do that is because you feel intimidated by them then by definition, they are starting to control your foreign policy."

Mr Key said other priorities this term included passing National's employment law reform bill, which fell over at the last term due to the resignation of National's support partner John Banks.

"I think the law is a tidy up of some scenarios which need reform."Reforming the Resource Management Act was another priority, Mr Key said.

PM accused of scaremongering

Meanwhile, an international security expert has accused the Prime Minister of "scaremongering" to build a case for war by claiming New Zealand could face domestic beheading threats.

John Key also told TV3's The Nation yesterday that a disproportionate number of Islamic State fighters were sourced from in and around Oceania.

International security expert Paul Buchanan said the claims were "absurd". "He's building a case for war. He's pulled the beheading imagery out for what I think are spurious purposes."

Buchanan accused Key of misrepresenting New Zealand's role in joining the coalition against Isis - although he conceded it was impossible to discount a threat. "There's no evidence that because you fight against Isis the method of retribution is beheading on the streets of Auckland."

He also rubbished the idea a "disproportionate" number of fighters were sourced here.

Key said terrorists returning to New Zealand were a possible security risk and he warned Isis posed a major risk to Kiwi aid workers based in the Middle East.

He told TV3 these reasons, and the growth of Isis, were among reasons New Zealand might join combat operations.

Key has said he would consider sending troops to counter Isis if called on by allies. Earlier this week he would not rule out sending the SAS. It would be odd for New Zealand to do nothing when its allies were involved in fighting back, he said yesterday.

"The question is what we do, rather than whether we do something."

Islamic militants have beheaded four Western hostages since mid-August, most recently 47-year-old English aid worker Alan Henning.

A fifth man - US native 26-year-old Abdul-Rahman Kassig - is being held in Syria and militants say he is next.

RNZAF to send planes to Middle East

Radio NZ,

12 October, 2014

Two Air Force planes will depart for the Middle East next week to support counter-piracy operations in the Persian Gulf.

ARNZAF Orion arrives back in Whenuapai, New Zealand, after a previous deployment in 2014. Photo: RNZ / Kate Newton

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion will leave on Monday and a Boeing 757 will leave on Wednesday.

Air Commodore Kevin McEvoy said he could not comment on whether the contingent could be re-deployed to fight against the Islamic State group which has been seizing territory in Iraq and Syria.

He said any such re-deployment would be the Prime Minister's decision, and the current personnel movement is just a routine rotation.

"The Orion aircraft is a routine changeover for the aircraft that's already out there and the Boeing will be taking the rest of the detachment."

A total of 47 Defence Force personnel are going as part of the rotation and will join a multi-national initiative to combat piracy and drug-trafficking in the Gulf.