¡¡¡¡WELLINGTON, Jan. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said Thursday that New Zealand forces were not being prepared for deployment to Iraq and no request for the deployment had been received.

¡¡¡¡She made the remark following the reports that Australia had decided to start preparing special forces for deployment to Iraq.

¡¡¡¡Clark told the National Radio, "We've been very clear that ourposition is to back the diplomatic process running its course."

¡¡¡¡"If the diplomatic process ran its course with the Security Council then saying 'we see no other option but to take direct action', we have said we would look at how we could make a contribution, most likely to be of a medical, humanitarian or logistic kind," she said.

¡¡¡¡"But we are a very long way away from that scenario," she added.

¡¡¡¡Prime Minister Clark said she knew in advance of the Australian government's decision to start preparing special forcesfor deployment to Iraq.

¡¡¡¡"It doesn't come as any surprise because Australia has indicated from the outset that it is following very closely in line with what the United States is doing."

¡¡¡¡Clark said the United States already had a huge forward deployment, as did Britain.

¡¡¡¡"The question now will be whether this is a prelude to an armed intervention without the UN, or is it an attempt to work on the mood at the Security Council where presently the indications are that most nations would want to give the weapons inspectors more time but the US is impatient," she said.

¡¡¡¡Clark said the military build-up might put pressure on the UN Security Council to pass a resolution warning Iraq that it was very close to being in breach of its obligations.

¡¡¡¡United Nations weapons inspectors currently looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq are due to report to the Security Council next week, with the United States indicating it is prepared to go to war. Enditem

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