Pledge that NZ staff in Kabul will not be left in the lurch

By AUDREY YOUNG

Defence Minister Mark Burton and United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discussed New Zealand's military deployments, mainly in Afghanistan, at a recent meeting in Singapore.

New Zealand is leading a provincial reconstruction team of 94 defence staff, scheduled to end next year. The team is backed up by security from coalition forces.

Mr Burton said no request was made to extend New Zealand deployments, but coalition support was discussed.

Mr Rumsfeld had reassured him that there was no US plan to step back from the support relationship offered by the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force patrolling Kabul "until there is a credible alternative" in place for the assistance force.

"So there is reassurance in that regard that we are not going to be left in the lurch, basically. We couldn't contemplate that because you cannot have the sort of deployment we have got there ... without the certainty of back-up if you need it, both practically in terms of supply but also particularly for things like air support and medical evacuation."

Mr Rumsfeld acknowledged that New Zealand was making a positive contribution but, in response to a question, Mr Burton said he would not have expected a "thank you" from him.

Mr Burton was in Singapore for a meeting of the Five Power Defence Arrangement (New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Britain) and a conference at which Mr Rumsfeld spoke.

They met on June 5.