NZ sticks with Afghan date despite US pullout plan

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp. Photo / Mark Mitchell

New Zealand forces will remain in Afghanistan until 2014.

The SAS will continue their operations until next March.

The United States will withdraw 10,000 troops by the end of the year and 33,000 are to be out by mid-2012.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said yesterday that New Zealand's plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by 2014 remains unchanged by the US withdrawal of 10,000 troops this year.

Dr Mapp said New Zealand's forces, including the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province, were expected to remain until 2014.

"We'll be looking at opportunities if we can reduce ahead of that, but it will be based on the actual security conditions.

"Of course Bamiyan province is one of the first places to transition, and we want to make that a successful transition.

"That effectively means training the Afghan security forces to take full responsibility of the police and we'll be able to step down as that security is achieved."

The Special Air Service (SAS) were committed to continue with their special forces operations until March next year.

Dr Mapp told the foreign affairs and defence committee yesterday that 200 Defence Force jobs would be axed next week and another round of redundancies would follow later in the year.

Staff this year received a memo from Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Rhys Jones advising them some positions would be passed on to less expensive civilians. It is part of a plan outlined in the defence white paper last year.

Yesterday, Dr Mapp confirmed that 512 positions were up for review, of which 324 would be readvertised as civilian jobs.

The affected staff will find out on Wednesday whether they are among those facing the axe.

Those not being made redundant would be able to re-apply for their jobs, with pay guaranteed at the same rate for two years.

A second review round would take place by the end of the year, affecting about 500 more staff, followed by a third round affecting about 400.

- NZPA