SAS to be redeployed in Afghanistan

The Government today announced the redeployment of about 50 New Zealand Special Air Service personnel to Afghanistan.

The deployment, for up to 180 days, will be the third rotation of New Zealand's SAS soldiers to Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said that continued efforts to improve security were essential for the credibility of Afghan parliamentary and provincial elections scheduled for September.

"Failure to stabilise Afghanistan would have consequences for the campaign against terrorism," Miss Clark said in a statement.

"The Taleban and elements sympathetic to Al Qaeda continue to provide resistance to the Afghan authorities and to the multi-national force mandated by the United Nations."

Defence Minister Mark Burton said the SAS soldiers would be commanded by a New Zealand officer and would specialise in long-range reconnaissance and "direct action missions".

They would operate alongside other countries' special forces.

The redeployment follows the recently announced extension to the deployment of the 120-strong New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team for another year, taking it through to September 2006.

Mr Burton said the soldiers would be transported to Afghanistan in two military aircraft contracted from the United States military.

The two aircraft landed at Whenuapai today.

- NZPA