Anzac support for injured soldier

6.00pm

Injured New Zealand Army Major Todd Hart is being watched over in Kuwait by a group of protective Australian soldiers who take the Anzac link seriously.

Maj Hart was hurt in a suicide truck bomb at the United Nations building in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad that killed at least 17 people yesterday.

He suffered a broken right arm and cuts to his face.

Maj Hart was evacuated to a United States military hospital in Kuwait last night and arrived with only the clothes he was wearing and his New Zealand passport and ID card.

"Members from the Royal Australian Air Force stationed in Kuwait got wind of his arrival and sought him out," NZ Defence Force spokesman Wing Commander John Seward said.

"The Anzac tradition of mutual support is alive and well."

The Australians had assumed responsibility for the Hamilton-born soldier, who lives with wife Penny and their three children in Palmerston North, near Maj Hart's Linton army camp base.

"A decision has yet to be made whether he will remain in the Middle East to recover, or return to New Zealand," Wg Cdr Seward said.

Maj Hart was deployed to Iraq in May 2003 to work with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).

Another New Zealander who was in the UN building, Christchurch man David Rendall, 53, escaped with only cuts and bruises.

Mr Rendall has worked for the UN for about 15 years and was in Iraq with UNOPS project services, after a previous stint in East Timor.

"He left a message on our phone saying he was all right before I even knew the bomb had gone off," his wife Megan said today.

"He was at the back of the building and told me everyone just hit the floor."

The Rendalls had planned to meet up in Dubai on September 1.

"There has been talk of evacuating David to Jordan, but we don't really know what will happen next," Mrs Rendall said.

"It seems more important now that we do meet up."

Another Christchurch man at the UN base, aid worker Alan Johnson, helped get the injured out of the building.

Sergio Vieira de Mello, the head of mission and one of the world's most experienced diplomats, died from his injuries before he could be extracted from the rubble.

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said today one result of the attack would be increased efforts to fight terrorism.

"As with other bombings, I think maybe the positive side is that this will stiffen the world's resolve to combat international terrorism," he said.

Six other New Zealand soldiers are currently serving in the south of Iraq. Another major remains on service with the United Nations, and five personnel from joint forces headquarters are also in Iraq preparing for the expected deployment of a 61-strong engineer contingent next month.

- NZPA