19 Sep 2008

National calls Clark's Iraq comments 'hysterical'

10:09 am on 19 September 2008

The National Party says comments made by the Prime Minister about soldier deaths in Iraq are hysterical and factually incorrect.

Helen Clark says if National had been power when the Iraq war broke out, it would have sent troops, and would now have the blood of 60 soldiers on its hands.

Helen Clark told Lower Hutt Greypower that working from numbers of US casualties in Iraq, if New Zealand had sent troops there, 60 of its soldiers would have come home in body bags.

When questioned about her comments afterwards, she said the number was a 'back of the envelope' calculation.

Miss Clark said that if National had been in power at the time, it would now have 'blood on its hands'.

National's leader John Key says the comments are desperate and hysterical, and said, if it wins power, National would not send troops to Iraq.