MP's Iraq comments draw criticism 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has criticised comments made by Duty Minister Jim Anderton about Iraq.

Anderton has compared the Iraqi conflict to the Vietnam War and questions whether the extra troops America is sending to the region will make any difference.

Peters says his ministerial colleague's attack on President Bush was ill-informed and regrettable.

He says Anderton is entitled to his own thoughts on world events, but his comments do not reflect the government's views.

"The challenge regarding Iraq is for the international community to find ways to assist the Iraqi government and all its peoples to overcome their differences and unite for the sake of the country's future."

Peters, who is currently in the Philippines for the East Asia Summit in Cebu, said he would be making no further comment on the issue.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has also been quick to distance herself from Anderton's comments.

She has said Anderton was speaking as leader of the Progressive Party and local MP, not as the government's duty minister.

Anderton says he stands by his comments, but says they are his own personal feelings and should not be seen as a government position.

He says he made the comments in an interview with his local newspaper, The Press, so had been wearing the hats of local MP, leader of the Progressive Party and the government's duty minister.

Anderton says a duty minister has to comment on all sorts of issues and that can mean both representing a certain position and a bit of what you think personally.  He says he certainly does not resile from anything he said.

Despite Clark and Peters distancing themselves from the comments, the National Party believes they are a true reflection of what the government thinks.

Party leader John Key believes Anderton's comments are a reflection of what he hears around the Cabinet table from Helen Clark.  He says it is not the first time the Clark led government has found itself in difficulty with America.

An expert on international relations believes New Zealand's relationship with the United States will not be damaged by the controversial comments.

Terence O'Brien from the Centre for Strategic Studies says they are obviously not an official government statement, and he says most of what Anderton said was not unreasonable.

He says Anderton was questioning whether the moves announced will be effective and it is very hard to form a conclusive judgement that they will be, as it just seems like more of the same.