NZSAS to redeploy to A'Stan.

[zeroalpha]

The Government today announced the redeployment of about 50 New Zealand Special Air Service personnel to Afghanistan.

The deployment, for up to 180 days, will be the third rotation of New Zealand's SAS soldiers to Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said that continued efforts to improve security were essential for the credibility of Afghan parliamentary and provincial elections scheduled for September.

"Failure to stabilise Afghanistan would have consequences for the campaign against terrorism," Miss Clark said in a statement.

"The Taleban and elements sympathetic to Al Qaeda continue to provide resistance to the Afghan authorities and to the multi-national force mandated by the United Nations."

Defence Minister Mark Burton said the SAS soldiers would be commanded by a New Zealand officer and would specialise in long-range reconnaissance and "direct action missions".

They would operate alongside other countries' special forces.

The redeployment follows the recently announced extension to the deployment of the 120-strong New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team for another year, taking it through to September 2006.

Mr Burton said the soldiers would be transported to Afghanistan in two military aircraft contracted from the United States military.

The two aircraft landed at Whenuapai today.

[Huey14]

The 757s must be busy transporting Helen and her entourage. God forbid dirty soldiers sit in one.

Good luck to them.

[zeroalpha]

Media Release: SAS to Afghanistan shameful
From: Peace Action Wellington
Date: June 1, 2005

'The deployment of more Special Air Service (SAS) troops to Afghanistan is
shameful. Prime Minister Helen Clark is helping the US military in committing
human rights violations and illegally occupying the country' said Peace Action
Wellington member Valerie Morse

The SAS have been deployed to Afghanistan on two previous occassions since the
start of the so-called 'War on Terrorism'. In both instances, they participated
in 'direct action missions' which translates to combat involving the death of
civilians. In June of 2004, one SAS soldier was injured in a gun battle.

'The US occupation of Afghanistan is a stunning failure. The country is no
better off than it was under the Taliban. Four years of war and the country is
in ruins, political stability is as far away as ever. Woman and children are
being killed, opium production is soaring and US war profiteers are making a
killing. Meanwhile, the people of Afghanistan are being murdered on a daily
basis. At one point, an average of 62 innocent civilans a day were being killed
in Afghanistan by Bush's coalition of the willing.'

'The New Zealand Defence Force must refuse to fight in these illegal wars of
occupation involving gross human rights violations. The Prime Minister is using
them as a political tool to advance her free trade agenda. The losers are the
Afghani people and the soldiers who come home in body bags'

ENDS

[Huey14]

Morse is a Bitch with a capital B. There's only something like 6 or 7 of those PAW lot. Fucking idiots.

I had a couple of run ins with them at the Embassy.

I mean, they made me bloody work!