Broadsides: NZ SAS in Afghanistan

Herald online

26 Oct, 2011 01:00 AM8 mins to read

Labour MP Jacinda Ardern and National MP Nikki Kaye.

Labour's Jacinda Ardern and National's Nikki Kaye on whether it is time to pull the New Zealand SAS troops from Afghanistan.

JACINDA ARDERN

It's impossible to write a piece on the role of our SAS troops in Afghanistan without acknowledging the massive sacrifice that has been made by the families who have sent their loved ones there and, most of all, to those who have never had them return.

It's never seemed appropriate to me to have the debate about whether our soldiers should remain in Afghanistan at the same time as moments of grief and mourning, but that does not abdicate us from our responsibility as politicians to constantly reassess where our troops are and whether they should remain there. That's exactly what Labour did in 2005.

You don't need to be reminded of what led us to commit troops to Afghanistan in the first place. The international call went out to root out possible sources of terrorism and Afghanistan, at that time, was seen as the heart. But, as with all conflicts, the massive responsibility of making a decision to send our men and women in harms way had to be made the utmost consideration. Being asked isn't enough, and that's why I was proud that as Government we did not commit troops to Iraq.

Afghanistan however has been a different and evolving conflict. What at first may have been an international operation focused on terrorism has increasingly become a local conflict. Not only is the leadership of the country corrupt, but the country is embroiled in almost a tribal based civil war. When it comes to the rigorous test that we have to apply to such deployment decisions (questions like what are we fighting for) Afghanistan has not passed for some time. That's ultimately why, in 2005 at the third rotation of our SAS troops in Afghanistan, we decided it was time to withdraw.

The National Government, however, took a different view. In mid-2009 they made the decision to move our SAS back into Afghanistan. It's not a decision I have ever understood or agreed with. Don't get me wrong; I am no pacifist. I believe that, sadly, there are times when we must use the measures and means we have available to defend democracy and peace, but my bar for when these times occur and whether our troops should be a part of it is high.

This is not a question of whether we pull our weight internationally. We have a proud history of reconstruction teams moving in during the aftermath of conflict; of our troops assisting in peace keeping missions in places like Timor Leste, and of a positive presence in places like the Solomon's. We do our bit and always have. But our troops have been present for the conflict in Afghanistan longer than we were in WWI and WWII combined. Surely it's only right to reassess whether we are still fighting the same battle we entered that conflict for.

I respect the role of our armed forces enormously: like many Kiwis, my grandfather served in the army. That's why we simply cannot ignore our duty to apply the most rigorous of tests when we deploy them.

On that basis, for me and Labour there is only one answer when it comes to Afghanistan: it's time we brought our troops home.

Jacinda Ardern is on Facebook and Twitter @jacindaardern

NIKKI KAYE

I believe it is very important for New Zealand to continue to be an independent nation when it comes to foreign policy. We have a proud history of making our own decisions in areas like nuclear-free policy and long may that continue.

As an independent nation we also have a role as a global citizen to help ensure peace and security. New Zealand is assisting in the international effort in Afghanistan. Successive New Zealand National and Labour Governments have made a decision to assist in the past because of a belief that the world cannot afford for Afghanistan to once again become a haven for international terrorists.

There are 48 countries currently involved with the NATO / ISAF effort in Afghanistan. NATO's fundamental goal is to safeguard freedom and security by political and military means. NATO remains the principal security instrument of the transatlantic community and expression of its common democratic values. The effort in Afghanistan was initiated pursuant to international law and it was sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council.

The NATO/ISAF effort includes Australia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Canada, the Netherlands, Iceland and Finland - these and the others are countries that have a huge respect for international law and human rights, and that also recognise the importance of helping Afghanistan.

Our effort includes the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) which supports the provincial and local government by providing advice and assistance to the Provincial Governor, the Afghan National Police and district sub-governors. The NZ PRT also assists with distributing emergency humanitarian assistance, particularly during the harsh winter months.

We are also helping to provide a stable security environment so that proper reconstruction of Afghanistan can occur.

Both this Government and the last Labour government deployed the SAS in Afghanistan. The SAS role in Kabul is to mentor the Afghan Crisis Response Unit, in order to raise their capability and effectiveness. This is happening - we can see that the CRU is better able to protect the Afghan people from terrorist attacks than they were in the past

The objective is to give Afghanistan the capability to manage its own security so they don't once again become a preferred haven for terrorists. This is important to all countries of the world including New Zealand - seven New Zealanders have died in the last decade as a result of Al-Qaeda organised terrorist acts around the world.

It is a very important principle to recognise that the SAS are part of the overall NATO / ISAF effort, but ultimately they answer to the New Zealand Defence Force and the New Zealand Government. Other countries make no secret of their respect for the SAS, and their wish to have them working in Afghanistan - but it is solely New Zealand's choice.

It is important to clarify that the SAS do not detain Afghan nationals when we are working with the CRU - that is the CRU's role. This is important because we and the whole NATO / ISAF effort in Afghanistan role is to support the Afghan Government, under a UN mandate. It is also important to clarify that we do not govern Afghanistan, and we are not at war with Afghanistan. The Afghan Government governs Afghanistan. We and the other NATO / ISAF countries are there to support them.

The Labour Party announced yesterday that if elected they will bring SAS troops back in February, it is difficult to see the significance of bringing them back a couple of weeks earlier. The Government has said that the SAS deployment is currently scheduled to end in March. The Labour Party have said their rationale for early withdrawal of the SAS troops is because they do not wish to support what they describe is a corrupt government. However, this does not explain why they then would then leave the PRT team in place which also supports the Afghan government. Their policy seems inconsistent and sends out mixed messages to the international community. While we must continue to independently assess our role in Afghanistan I do not believe that a good reason to pull out is because things have got too hard. That undermines the trust that the international community have in us and it disrespects those who have died or been injured in Afghanistan.

Over the last three years, nine young New Zealanders have died either in operations overseas or in fulfilling their roles within New Zealand. When I met some SAS soldiers earlier this year and I asked them what the situation was like in Afghanistan and why they were going back, I will never forget their response. They commented that when they arrived women were not allowed to leave the house and it made them proud to now see young girls in school uniforms walking to school. While the major role of the effort in Afghanistan was to improve global security, I think most people would acknowledge that the liberation of Afghan women who can now work, go to school and vote would not have been possible under the former regime.

Over the last three years we have started to significantly reassess and reform our defence effort for the first time in over a decade. The 2010 Defence Review, and the Capability Plan are about providing a better and more coherent Defence Force relevant to New Zealand's needs and our place in the world. One of the biggest challenges in the future is the changing balance of power in the Asia Pacific region. We believe as a small country we can make a vital contribution to enhance global stability and security.