Greens oppose new SAS role in Afghanistan

New Zealand Special Air Services (SAS) troops should not join a new combat force in Afghanistan after the United States pulls troops out early next year, Green MP Keith Locke says.

New Zealand currently has 50 SAS troops fighting remnants of the Taleban in Afghanistan.

The US plans to pull 4000 troops out of Afghanistan early next year, and Britain has been trying to pull together a coalition to fill the gap in advance of a Nato meeting in Brussels on December 7, Britain's Guardian newspaper said.

New Zealand, Australia and Canada are countries it will hold talks with, the newspaper said.

Australia confirmed yesterday it was in talks about sending troops to southern Afghanistan.

No talks have yet been initiated with New Zealand.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said any future SAS deployments would be decided by Cabinet.

But Mr Locke today said New Zealand should not join the new counter-insurgency force and should instead limit its activities to peacekeeping.

"New Zealand has held up its end with peacekeeping, aid and reconstruction work, particularly around Bamian.

"There is absolutely no need for us to be part of Britain or America's combat operations in south and east Afghanistan," he said.

Canada has 1500 troops in Afghanistan and the Netherlands, Denmark and Estonia have offered to join the British-led force in the south.

But British allies in Europe, such as France and Germany, have refused to allow their troops to become involved in counter-insurgency.

"We should be like France and stick to a strictly peacekeeping role," Mr Locke said.

Britain is planning to deploy 2000 crack British troops backed by Apache attack helicopters to lawless Helmand province at the head of an expanded, British-led Nato force next spring.

- NZPA