Big force for Solomons

By KEVIN TAYLOR, political reporter

New Zealand plans to send up to 240 military and police personnel to help to restore order in the violence-torn Solomon Islands.

While a formal request for help has yet to come from the Solomons Government, Foreign Minister Phil Goff said yesterday it was "highly likely" New Zealand would take part in an Australian-led intervention.

New Zealand was looking to send 30 to 40 mainly unarmed police and 100 to 200 armed soldiers, he said.

Australia would contribute about 1500 police and defence personnel to the plan, which might also involve other Pacific countries.

The deployments could go ahead within weeks.

Fresh from weekend talks with his Australian counterpart, Alexander Downer, Mr Goff told the Herald the estimated cost of New Zealand's deployment would be about $15 million in the first year.

"If we do nothing the situation may easily descend into chaos," he said.

The operation would be police-led, but armed peacekeepers would provide protection from criminal or militant action.

An Air Force Iroquois helicopter detachment is likely to accompany the ground force.

Mr Goff said the number of police and military staff was still "pretty loose", as operational planning had yet to be done.

But he said there would be a mixture of senior and junior police staff. Ten officers are already in the Solomons.

Mr Goff today attends a special Pacific Forum foreign ministers meeting on the Solomons in Sydney and he expected it would support the intervention.

A formal request for assistance from the Solomons Government is expected soon.

"We need to build up the capability of the Solomon Islands police," he said. "This is not something that we want to be stuck there doing long-term. This is designed to put the Solomon Islands back on its feet in the short term, working with the Pacific countries."

Mr Goff said the security situation in the Solomons had declined to the point where the economy had collapsed.

"Even very basic social services such as health and education can't be delivered."

He said New Zealand gave $8 million a year in aid to the Solomons, an amount which might have to be doubled.

The money would go towards restoring vital services such as justice, health and education.

The New Zealand Defence Force refused to comment last night on any Solomons deployment.

National Party foreign affairs spokesman Wayne Mapp welcomed the commitment, but warned that it might last a long time.

It could take "many months, if not years" to restore order.

Dr Mapp noted that New Zealand forces were deployed to East Timor for three years and to the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville for more than five.

"We have to question whether the increase in the police numbers should come from the military police rather than our stretched police force."

Meanwhile, the Defence Force's commitment to Bougainville, which began in 1997, ends with an official closing-down ceremony today.