Govt to decide on further Iraq, Afghanistan army deployments

Cabinet has until next month to decide whether to either further extend New Zealand's deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan - or end them altogether. Last year the coalition government extended the Iraq mission until the end of June, but was clear its longer term future would be decided this year. The landscape has changed considerably in Iraq since then, including victory being declared over ISIS in neighbouring Syria. The Defence Minister Ron Mark told RNZ political editor Jane Patterson that doesn't mean the battle is over.