New Zealand's National Party leader and Prime Minister-elect John Key celebrates a landslide victory at the National election party during New Zealand's general election in Auckland September 20, 2014.
New Zealand's National Party leader and Prime Minister-elect John Key celebrates a landslide victory at the National election party during New Zealand's general election in Auckland September 20, 2014. Reuters/Nigel Marple

New Zealand will have to do something in the fight against ISIS. Prime Minister John Key has declared that New Zealand has no “realistic option of doing nothing.”

The Cabinet is considering the proposed deployment of about 100 troops to Iraq to take on an advisory role in training Iraqi government forces. Radio NZ reports that New Zealand troops will more likely team up with their Australian counterparts.

The issue of sending New Zealand troops has become a hot topic since some members of Parliament have strongly expressed their opposition to the prime minister’s plan of joining the efforts of the U.S.-led coalition in the Middle East. Mr Key told NewstalkZB that he believes that majority of New Zealanders are in favour of sending troops to join the fight against ISIS.

The prime minister said there were obviously a number of people opposed to the idea of deployment. However, he added that every poll that he has seen showed “a majority in favour.”

Mr Key said the public is also condemning the brutality of ISIS in the Middle East. He believes it’s time for New Zealand to act since 60 countries were doing the same thing. The prime minister went on to say that New Zealanders can understand what is going on.

He said the Cabinet had a lot to deliberate but Mr Key said most of the complexities have been resolved. If plans to deploy troops to Iraq would push through, the prime minister acknowledged the risk of death.

“But on the other side of the coin… do we run the risk of losing lives of New Zealanders on the bases that ISIS becomes stronger?” asked Mr Key. He said the answer to the question is “yes.”

Mr Key revealed that he would not be revealing any possible dates for the deployment of troops if Cabinet decides to go ahead with the proposed plan. He said New Zealand troops will not accompany Iraqi soldiers in combat but they will protect themselves if ever they were under attack.

The prime minister said New Zealand troops can only defend themselves and will not be allowed to assist Iraqi forces in combat even if they were overpowered. Previous reports have indicated New Zealand soldiers will not be given a status of forces agreement but would act under diplomatic passports. Aside from training Iraqi troops, Mr Key said intelligence gathering could also be part of New Zealand’s support.

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