John MacDonald: Get the Kiwis out of Iran and Israel - and leave it at that

The US air strikes on Iran yesterday are a disaster. A disaster that New Zealand needs to stay well clear of.

Before yesterday, the prospect of it happening was a disaster-in-the making. And, now that it’s happened, it’s an absolute disaster. 

Not because of what might happen today, tomorrow or the next day. But, what will happen when the world least expects it.  

Not just in terms of what Iran itself will do. I’m talking about the inevitable terrorism activity because of what happened yesterday. 

Because, if there’s something US President Donald Trump seems to have forgotten in all of this - before he ordered those bombers to fly to Iran and back - is that history often, if not always, teaches us something about the future. 

When I heard about the attacks yesterday, the first thing I thought about was 9/11. When the world was changed forever after the Al Qaeda terror attacks. 

Why do you think they happened? What was the lesson that you think might have been learned from that? That Trump might have learned? 

The lesson 9/11 taught us was that the US and the Middle East don’t mix. 

The September 11 attacks happened because of the United States’ history of supporting Israel. That was the nub of it. And it might be why the US has been shy of launching attacks on Iran in recent years. Until yesterday, anyway. 

And what better display of the US supporting Israel can you get, than yesterday’s airstrikes? 

Which is why I see some very grave consequences coming. As I say, it won’t be today. It won’t be tomorrow. And I hope I’m wrong. But do you really see these peaceful negotiations happening after yesterday?   

Seven bombers flying 37 hours from Missouri to Iran and back. Bombing three sites - involving not just the stealth bombers, but other fighter jets and a US submarine, as well. 

Seventy-five bombs dropped - including 14 “bunker busters”. Which, by the way, was the first time ever that these bunker busters have been used. 

And then we had Trump and his military bosses crowing about “severe damage and destruction”. But then turning around and saying they don’t want war with Iran. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that the US “is not looking for war in Iran” and that the “world is safer and more stable than it was 24 hours ago”. 

That’s not how I’m seeing it, at all. 

And Donald Trump saying after the bombings, “now is the time for peace”. Really? 

Quite rightly, UN head António Guterres is saying “there is no military solution.” 

He’s saying that the airstrikes are a dangerous escalation which “could rapidly get out of control - with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.” 

Which is exactly how I’m feeling about it. 

And I hope that the most-involved New Zealand gets in all of this is sending the air force plane to help kiwis who want to get out of Iran and Israel. There are about 80 New Zealanders in Iran and about 100 in Israel.  

And that needs to be it. Because this conflict is not something we need to be involved in.  

I’m pleased to see the Foreign Affairs Minister keeping his cool and not banging the drum about New Zealand doing its bit. Defence Minister Judith Collins is the same. 

In fact, Winston Peters says it’s the most serious issue he’s had to respond to during his whole time in politics. Likening the way the world is waiting to see what happens next, to the Cuban missile crisis in the early 1960s. When it looked like the US and the Soviet Union could go to war with each other after Soviet missile sites were discovered in Cuba. 

So let’s get the Kiwis home who want to come home, and leave it at that. 

Because, if we sign-up to anything involving Donald Trump, we’ll have absolutely no idea what we’re getting ourselves into. 

Because, it seems, that the only country that had any sort of heads up before yesterday’s attacks was Israel. And I don’t want New Zealand having a bar of it. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from News TALKSB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
You know the US he strikes in Iran yesterday. They
are a disaster, a disaster that New Zealand needs to
stay well clear of. Before yesterday, before yesterday, the prospect
of it happening was a disaster in the making, and
now that it's happened, it's an absolute disaster. Not because

(00:34):
of what might happen today, not because of what might
happen tomorrow or the next day, but what will happen
when the world least expects it, not just want to
run itself? Will do I'm talking here about the inevitable
terrorism activity because of what happened yesterday. Because if there's

(00:54):
something that US President Donald Trump seems to have forgotten
in all of this, before he ordered those bombers to
fly to Iran and back, he's forgotten that history often,
actually if not always, teachers us something about the future.
And when I heard about the attacks yesterday, the first
thing I thought about was nine to eleven, when the

(01:17):
world was changed forever after the al Qaeda terror attacks.
Why did they happen? What was a lesson that you
think might have been learned from that that Trumps cronies
might have learned well. The lesson nine to eleven taught
us was that the US and the Middle East don't mix.

(01:37):
The September eleven attacks happened because of the United States
history of supporting Israel in the Middle East. That was
a nub of it, and it might be why the
US has been shy of launching attacks on Iran in
recent years until yesterday. Anyway, it all changed. And what
better display of the US supporting Israel can you get

(02:01):
than yesterday's a strikes, which is why I see some
very great consequences coming. As I say, it won't necessarily
be today, won't be tomorrow, and I hope I'm wrong,
But do you really see these peaceful negotiations that people
are talking about really happening? After yesterday? Seven bombers flying

(02:27):
thirty seven hours return journey Missouri to Iran and back,
bombing three sites and involving not just the stealth bombers
that I mentioned, but other fire de jects and a
submarine as well. Seventy five bombs dropped, including fourteen bunker busters, which,
by the way, was the first time ever that these
bunker busters have been used. And then afterwards we had

(02:50):
trump Anda's military bosses crowing about quote severe damage and
destruction end of quote, and then turning around saying that
I don't want war with Iran. You were Secretary of State,
Marco Ruby. I'm saying that the US quote is not
looking for a war in Iran, and that the world

(03:12):
is safer and more stable than it was twenty four
hours ago. End of quote. I'm sorry, mate, That's not
how I'm seeing it at all. And Donald Trump saying
after the bombings, quote, now is the time for peace,
and really, I mean quite rightly. The head of the UN,
Antonio Gates, he's saying this morning that there is no
military solution. That's a direct quote. He says there is

(03:33):
no military solution. He's saying that the strikes are a
dangerous escalation which quote could rapidly get out of control
with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,
which is exactly how I'm feeling about it. It's a disaster,

(03:54):
and I hope that the most involved New Zealand gets
in all of this are sending the U Force plane
over there to help Kiwis who want to get out
of Iran and Israel. There are about eighteen New Zealander
is in Iran, about one hundred in Israel, and that
needs to be it because this conflict is not something
we need to be involved in. I'll tell you what,

(04:15):
I'm very pleased to see Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peter's
keeping us cool and not banging the drum about New
Zealand doing it's a bit and all of that usual
chest thumping that goes on. Defense Minister Judith Collins, she's
the same, pretty circumspect and Winston Peter's he says, you
probably heard him say this. He says, this is the

(04:36):
most serious issue he has had to respond to during
his whole time in politics. That's nearly fifty years, and
he's likening the way that the world is waiting. The
world is waiting to see what happens next to the
Cuban missile crisis in the early sixties, when it looked like,
if you don't know much about it, it looked like the
US and the Soviet Union, we're going to go to
war after Soviet missile sites we're discovered in Cuba. So

(05:00):
let's get the Keywi's home. The ones who want to
come home, get them on the plane, and leave it.
At that simple reason that if we sign up to
anything involving Donald Trump, we will have absolutely no idea
what the hell we're getting ourselves into, because it seems
that the only country that had any sort of heads
up before yesterday's attacks was Israel. It's from what's been

(05:24):
reported so far, and I don't want New Zealand having
a bar of it.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
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