Viewing cable 07WELLINGTON88, PM CLARK REBUKES MINISTER FOR BROADSIDE AT US IRAQ POLICY

VZCZCXRO9034
RR RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHWL #0088/01 0260342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260342Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3791
INFO RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 1138
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000088 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR D (FRITZ), EAP/FO, AND EAP/ANP 
NSC FOR VICTOR CHA 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD LIZ PHU 
PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV NZ
SUBJECT: PM CLARK REBUKES MINISTER FOR BROADSIDE AT US IRAQ POLICY 
 
WELLINGTON 00000088 001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) On January 12th, Jim Anderton, the New Zealand Government's 
Duty Minister at the time, launched a blistering attack on President 
Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq. PM Helen Clark and Foreign 
Minister Winston Peters quickly disavowed Anderton's comments, and 
the PM removed him as Duty Minister within the day. As a result, 
Clark especially has been roundly criticized by many ordinary Kiwis 
and the NZ media, who tend to agree with Anderton. The PM was also 
assailed by the Greens, who accused her of cuddling up to the U.S., 
and by National, who claimed that Anderton was repeating what the 
Labour Government really thinks. To our mind, the PM's quick work 
to tamp down Anderton's remarks demonstrates that she recognizes the 
GNZ needs to improve the tone of its rhetoric if it is to build 
bridges with the U.S. It also proves she is prepared pay a price 
for this at home. End Summary 
What Anderton said 
------------------ 
¶2. (SBU) On January 12th Jim Anderton, then the Government's Duty 
Minister, was asked by a reporter from the Christchurch Press for 
Government reaction on President Bush's decision to send more troops 
to Iraq. Although the President had not yet delivered his speech, 
Anderton roundly criticized not just the new initiative but the Iraq 
war in general. He compared the Iraq campaign to the mistakes of 
Napoleon and Genghis Khan, adding that "it is hard to see how 
additional 20,000-25,000 troops are going to be capable of making 
any real difference." Anderton, the Government's third-ranked 
Minister, further wondered "whether the lessons I would have 
expected to be learnt from (Vietnam) have been learnt in any way at 
all." Anderton claimed that the Government's views "remain 
consistent with our [GNZ] original view about military action not 
being a sustainable or long-term contributor to the peaceful 
development of Iraq." 
¶3. (SBU) When the journalist informed the Embassy's Media Specialist 
about Anderton's comments and asked for comment, the DCM immediately 
alerted Carl Worker, Director of the Americas Division at the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and stressed the importance 
of the New Zealand Government at senior political levels disavowing 
this position. Worker said he would immediately inform the PM's 
office. 
----------------------------------- 
PM Clark quick to admonish Anderton 
----------------------------------- 
¶4. (SBU) Within hours after the DCM's call to MFAT, Clark distanced 
herself from Anderton's comments. In a statement released to the 
media, Clark claimed that Anderton had spoken as leader of the 
coalition Progressive Party and a local MP, not on behalf of the 
Government. Said Clark, "President Bush today announced a revised US 
strategy for Iraq based on several major elements. They include the 
Iraqi Government taking the lead in confronting the insurgency; 
improving internal political dialogue and economic progress in Iraq, 
encouraging Arab state support for the Iraqi Government; and 
increasing the number of US troops deployed." She noted that 
"attempts to bring peace to Iraq have foundered in the face of a 
bitter insurgency, marked by sectarian violence. The current 
situation in Iraq is also destabilizing within the region. " Clark 
added that "Iraq faces enormous challenges and the situation there 
is of great concern to New Zealand and the international community." 
 MFAT informed the Embassy that Clark had also decided to replace 
Anderton as Duty Minister within a day, and ordered him not to 
comment further on the matter, and instructed that the USG be 
informed of this action. 
Foreign Minister Peters critical of Anderton 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Foreign Minister Winston Peters backed Clark's view and 
publicly called Anderton's comments "ill-informed and regrettable." 
In a statement issued from Cebu, where he was attending the East 
Asia Summit, Peters noted that the comments "certainly do not 
reflect the views of the Government." 
Clark's Move Catches Flak from Public and Media 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶6. (SBU) Clark's decision to slap down Anderton has put her very 
much on the wrong side of popular opinion in New Zealand, as she 
undoubtedly anticipated it would. Polls have found that most NZers 
endorsed Anderton's comments and were highly critical of Clark's 
reaction. An unscientific and voluntary poll by New Zealand media 
website Stuff.co.nz showed almost 80 per cent of the more than 3500 
respondents agreed Iraq was becoming another Vietnam. 
¶7. (SBU) By and large, editorials have similarly disapproved of 
Clark's actions. Whilst most NZ editors gave Anderton low marks for 
 
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diplomacy, they awarded him high marks for courage and honesty. In 
contrast, Clark's decision not back Anderton was roundly criticized, 
with one editorial describing it as "nothing more than a shallow and 
transparent attempt at diplomatic face-saving." A week on, the 
papers are still publishing readers' letters about the incident, few 
of which support what Clark did. While we suspect many Kiwis do 
agree with the Prime Minister, the majority of those who have spoken 
out clearly do not. 
Clark also faces political heat 
------------------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) In addition to broad public and media criticism, Clark 
received political flak as well. National Party leader John Key 
claimed the comments simply reflected what Anderton had heard around 
the Cabinet table and would weaken the Government's attempts to 
improve relations with the US. Green Party co-leader Jeanette 
Fitzsimons claimed that the controversy revealed Clark's true 
colors. She said, "...the fact that Clark has been willing to bag 
her closest coalition partner in order to keep relations with the US 
friendly is not something I would have expected from a leader who 
just three years ago inspired New Zealand by refusing to bow to 
pressure to join the Coalition of the Willing." 
¶9. (SBU) Ironically, perhaps, we believe Fitzsimons got it exactly 
right. PM Clark made a decision few would have expected three years 
ago to protect her Government's relationship with the United States, 
even though important left wing supporters disapproved. 
McCormick