IMAGE: US EMBASSY NEW ZEALAND/AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Prime Minister John Key has signaled his support for US airstrikes in Iraq but says no troops will be put on the ground.
In New Zealand, the Key administration has designated ISIS (ISIL) as a terrorist group, and believes supporting the airstrikes is logical for a safer world.
Mr Key made it clear he would only support airstrikes within Iraqi borders.
This comes after calls for world leaders to fight back at the group which has proven a formidable opponent in the Middle East in the last few months.
Mr Key’s comments also reflect others’ opinions who do not want to strike Syria, where ISIS is also operating out of. There is hesitation because of the political and legal complications to do so.
A while back US President Obama was contemplating intervention in Syria. The country’s humanitarian crisis had reached a critical stage by then, but Americans had strongly opposed US intervention according to polls.
Even if world leaders decided they wanted to get involved, Russia – who is on the UN Security Council and ally to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – would not support such actions.
President Assad has also made it clear that any intervention to go after ISIS in Syria would require approval from his government.
Newstalk ZB – NZ poised to back US-led strikes on Islamic State, September 11
NZ Media: The Middle East 
[…] ZB he supports US airstrikes (and presumably Australian and French airstrikes) and believes they are logical for a safer world but makes it clear he only supports airstrikes within Iraqi […]