NEW ZEALAND: The failure of the US weapons inspection team to find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq raised "serious questions about the basis on which the intervention was justified", Mr Phil Goff, New Zealand's Foreign Minister, said yesterday in Dublin, writes Deaglán de Bréadún Foreign Affairs Correspondent
New Zealand was not part of the coalition that invaded Iraq.
"New Zealand believed that the preconditions for military force against Iraq were, firstly, that it was done multilaterally rather than unilaterally. Secondly, while we support the use of force when other options run out, force must be the last resort," Mr Goff said in an interview.
Given Saddam Hussein's use of WMD in the past, New Zealand shared widespread international concern on this issue: "But we felt that there was a proper way of determining whether they still existed. That was through UNMOVIK [United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission\]."
There were about a dozen members of the New Zealand defence forces working with the UN weapons inspection team.
"As long as UNMOVIK were allowed and capable of doing their work in Iraq, we felt that that was a sufficient safeguard against the existence of any potential weapons of mass destruction. So we declined to be part of the coalition of the willing, notwithstanding the fact that our traditional allies and friends, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, were involved. We have subsequently become involved in reconstruction and humanitarian work."
The go-it-alone approach hadn't worked: "A positive solution required that the international community came together to deal with difficulties in Iraq, and the lack of multilateralism in the decision has produced difficulties in the post-conflict area, if you can indeed call Iraq 'post-conflict' today. The conflict of course continues in a different guise."
Asked how he saw the likely turn of events in Iraq now, Mr Goff said: "The outlook is still very uncertain. We are pleased that an interim Iraqi authority will take responsibility from June 30th but it is not an elected body. Obviously, for it to have authority, it must have a mandate and we hope that elections can be held at the earliest practical opportunity. But that relies also on the environment being secure. The responsibility for a secure environment rests with the occupying authorities under international law."
However, New Zealand had no problem with taking part previously in Operation Enduring Freedom, the combined military operation in Afghanistan, "because it was UN-mandated, it was international action and because we recognise the critical importance of a successful campaign against terrorism".
He said New Zealand had an "even-handed" policy on the Middle East. "We condemned the extra-judicial assassination of Sheikh Yassin, not that I am in any sense an apologist for Hamas - I have repeatedly condemned Hamas and will continue to do so - but if you want to deal with somebody accused of linkages with terrorism, you arrest him and try him, you don't execute him without trial. That is what happened."
The conflict must be resolved: "Unless we solve this problem, then we will not solve the problem of international terrorism. This is the one issue that gives rise to popular support, particularly in the Islamic and Arab world, for terrorism."
Mr Goff has three portfolios: Foreign Affairs and Trade; Justice; and Pacific Island Affairs. "Foreign Affairs and Trade is the most demanding portfolio and requires travelling about 100 days a year." He is a member of the New Zealand Labour Party which holds 52 out of a total 120 seats in parliament and rules with the support of three smaller parties.
He praised the performance of the Irish Rangers who served with the New Zealand battalion in East Timor: "We had a fantastic relationship." He added: "We would work with the Irish defence forces in any peacekeeping operation at any time."
During his Irish visit, Mr Goff met the Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche, and the European Commissioner for External Relations, Mr Chris Patten, as part of the regular dialogue between the EU and New Zealand, which has a strong focus on trade issues. Mr Goff also addressed a seminar hosted by the Irish Australasian Business Association.