Tuesday, August 30, 2005
The billboard I wanted to make ages ago
Thanks to the good people at this site, everyone can be a national party artist nowadays. Which allowed me to make this:
Comments:
DC: Surely, you are aware Helen has already sent NZ army personnel to Iraq.
-Dinkas
-Dinkas
# posted by 
: 30 August 2005 at 16:48
: 30 August 2005 at 16:48
Dinkas - they were engineers, not combat troops.
I didn't see that sending engineers was particularly helpful, but there's a big difference between a few engineers and the Don Brash Armed Strikeforce.
I didn't see that sending engineers was particularly helpful, but there's a big difference between a few engineers and the Don Brash Armed Strikeforce.
Yamis (and DC): It is spin, not twist ;) So the freedom fighters/insurgents/terrorists would distinguish between army engineers and armed forces. They are both wearing fatigues. I see it more for public consumption back home. So if an engineer was shot and killed, is that any different to if it had been a solider with a gun? I don't see the difference.
Let's be honest, Helen only sent the engineers to suck up to the US after her comments after Bush and to help improve relations with the US - which were quite good before her comments given our support in Afghanistan and the overall security cooperation relationship. She was able to justify this as under the auspices of the UN. With no apparent FTA deal on the horizon the 'engineers' were not replaced. Now, who is the lapdog?
DC: What armed strikeforce would Brash send? Perhaps, he might send a frigate or two to the Persian Gulf (oh wait, Helen has already done that).
At best, we would have sent in the SAS and some medics. We simply don't have that many troops and many were already tied up in Afghanistan and East Timor.
-Dinkas
Let's be honest, Helen only sent the engineers to suck up to the US after her comments after Bush and to help improve relations with the US - which were quite good before her comments given our support in Afghanistan and the overall security cooperation relationship. She was able to justify this as under the auspices of the UN. With no apparent FTA deal on the horizon the 'engineers' were not replaced. Now, who is the lapdog?
DC: What armed strikeforce would Brash send? Perhaps, he might send a frigate or two to the Persian Gulf (oh wait, Helen has already done that).
At best, we would have sent in the SAS and some medics. We simply don't have that many troops and many were already tied up in Afghanistan and East Timor.
-Dinkas
# posted by : 30 August 2005 at 21:15
: 30 August 2005 at 21:15
Dinkas - if it was me, I wouldn't have sent the engineers either. Although perhaps at the time of "Mission Accomplished" (remember that?) there was the prospect of a meaningful rebuild of Iraq. In any case, the distinction between combat troops and engineers is a meaningful one, fatigues or no.
Dinkas.
The difference.
One group goes into help repair things.
The other group goes in to kill and/or help kill Iraqi people.
Can you see a difference that's as big as the peaceful Pacific Ocean?
Also it's worth noting that Afghanistan and Iraq are not the same place, nor the same situation.
I take it you are supportive of Labour for sending personnel into Iraq though?
The difference.
One group goes into help repair things.
The other group goes in to kill and/or help kill Iraqi people.
Can you see a difference that's as big as the peaceful Pacific Ocean?
Also it's worth noting that Afghanistan and Iraq are not the same place, nor the same situation.
I take it you are supportive of Labour for sending personnel into Iraq though?
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