SAS offer not related to US pressure: Goff

The Government was keen to join the "war against terrorism" before the United States applied political pressure to join the military campaign, Foreign Minister Phil Goff said today.

Papers show Prime Minister Helen Clark asked ministers to commit troops as the US government warned that future relations between the two countries were dependent on support for the war against terrorism.

Cabinet papers released under the Official Information Act today said American officials privately warned New Zealand and other countries that responses to the September 11 terrorist attacks would be treated as a "touchstone" for future relations.

Foreign Minister Phil Goff told NZPA today that "the New Zealand initiative came first and came hours after the first attack... we contacted the United States and told them we would do everything we could to try to deal with the problem of terrorism".

Mr Goff said the offer of military support came "because it was warranted and justified. Pressure did not come into it... the action wasn't taken to please the United States".

New Zealand's support for the war in Afghanistan led to rifts in the Government's junior coalition partner, the Alliance. Many Alliance members and some MPs have expressed opposition to the SAS deployment and the bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

The papers, which are censored in part, do not record or even hint at any dissent from Alliance ministers over support for "international action against terrorism" or "the possible deployment of special forces".

Cabinet debates are confidential, but Mr Goff hinted that while questions were asked, cabinet was not torn by dissent.

- NZPA

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