Afghan war on Key's summit list

John Key says New Zealanders would understand the decision to send SAS troops to Afghanistan. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Afghanistan will be on the agenda when Prime Minister John Key meets United Nations and Nato leaders in New York this week.

Mr Key confirmed yesterday that New Zealand's SAS combat force had arrived to rejoin the war in Afghanistan - just as the top US military commander there warned his Government that defeat was likely unless he was given more troops.

It is the fourth SAS contingent to go to Afghanistan since 2001, but the first since 2005.

In a response to a request from the United States, 71 troops will be sent in each of three contingents over 12 to 18 months.

A slightly bigger group than 71 has arrived in the first team to set up for the new posting.

The decision to return to the war zone was made on August 10. Yesterday Mr Key said the troops had arrived, although he would not say where they were in the country.

The move comes amid growing disquiet at the death toll in Afghanistan and political deadlock in Kabul over corruption in the August presidential election that returned Harmid Karzai.

Six Italian troops were killed last week, and the United States has lost 841 soldiers, according to the iCasualities.org website.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has estimated that 4654 civilians have died since 2007.

New Zealand has had no casualties.

General Stanley McChrystal has warned that unless he gets more troops, the war against insurgency in Afghanistan will probably be lost.

He gave his assessment in a report to US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on August 30, the Washington Post and New York Times reported.

Military officials said General McChrystal would ask for up to 45,0000 extra troops to boost the 68,000 already approved.

He may suggest an increased commitment from other countries operating in Afghanistan.

New Zealand also has 140 troops in the Bamyan Reconstruction Unit, which the Government has decided will be gradually replaced with development assistance.

Mr Key, who is to meet Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen early on Thursday, NZ time, said New Zealand was in Afghanistan to help stabilise it, and was supporting the present Government.

"Yes, we are supporting that administration," he said.

"The alternative is that we are left with a country where control is ceded to the Taleban, where in all probability more terrorist activities will be planned and scheme will be hatched."

Asked if he was concerned that New Zealand would be seen to be propping up an illegitimate regime, Mr Key said he thought New Zealand would see the sending of the SAS troops as they had seen previous deployments.

"This is a historical hotbed of terrorism, a place where we are trying to stabilise the environment so that our forces in Bamyan are, hopefully, in a safer location."

Mr Key said SAS group would be under the control of Nato's International Security Assistance Force commander but the Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force would retain full command through a New Zealand SAS commander in the field.

Labour leader Phil Goff said the situation in Afghanistan had changed dramatically since the first SAS troops were sent there.

"There are increasing question marks over the deployment of combat forces which far from winning the hearts and minds of people are losing the support of people."

He said Labour last term decided to keep only the reconstruction unit in Bamyan and not to send the SAS.

"We were increasingly concerned that al Qaeda was no longer the issue in the rest of Afghanistan, rather it was degenerating into the local conflict between bands of Taleban and the Karzai administration."