New Zealand's troops are pulling out of Iraq under a cloak of secrecy
as security deteriorates in the battle to control the war-torn country.
Nearly 100 people have been killed in attacks in Baghdad and Baquba this week, while Australia has sent a "logistics team" to Iraq to determine whether two of its nationals are being held hostage.
The New Zealand Defence Force is refusing to give any details of the withdrawal of the 60-strong Kiwi military engineering contingent, which has been hunkered down in Basra for the past five weeks as
violence escalates throughout Iraq.
The lightly armed engineers have helped restore water treatment plants and fix municipal infrastructure including schools, police stations and bridges. That work all but stopped early last month when fighting spread south from Najaf. The New Zealanders were confined to Fortress Lines, the base they have shared for the past year with British forces.
The situation in Iraq was very different from a year ago.
Our troops were sent in a non-combatant role "but what's happening now is that
everyone's a combatant whether they want to be one or not. As time has gone on the situation has become much more lethal and no one can guarantee their absolute safety."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3035130a10,00.html