Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has dismissed suggestions the elite SAS force is ready and waiting for the green light to go into combat against Isis (Islamic State) militants in Iraq.
But investigative journalist Jon Stephenson, who has reported extensively on the Special Air Service, says it will have already been readying itself and discussing potential deployments with US forces.
Prime Minister John Key on Monday would not rule out sending the SAS to assist US efforts to combat Isis in Iraq. However, he said that would be a last resort. New Zealand had not yet been asked and could not make that decision until his new Government was sworn in this month.
Responding to media reports the SAS was in "pre-deployment" mode for a potential mission against Isis, Dr Coleman said through a spokeswoman that "the SAS is not on standby to deploy to the Middle East".
But private sector security and intelligence analyst Paul Buchanan said SAS troops might already be overseas.
