GLOBAL PEACE & JUSTICE AUCKLAND
www.gpja.org.nz

11 August 2009
Media Release:

Day of Shame
SAS troops join foreign occupation of Afghanistan

Yesterday was a day of shame for New Zealand as the government announced its decision to send SAS troops to Afghanistan.

This is a disgraceful act of aggression by New Zealand. We are sending troops to prop up a vicious regime of warlords and drug runners who have no legitimacy to run the country.

In the eight years since New Zealand took part in the illegal invasion and occupation of Afghanistan (it was never sanctioned by the United Nations) that country has been plunged into violence and chaos for which New Zealand shares responsibility.

We are part of the problem in Afghanistan and yesterday’s decision puts us on the losing side both morally and militarily.

In previous SAS deployments New Zealand troops handed over “suspects” they captured to the American forces who tortured and often murdered their captives. GPJA called on former Prime Minister Helen Clark to condemn the murder of two Afghanis in US custody when their cases were publicised. Helen Clark turned a blind eye.

And despite the supposed bravery of our SAS troops they didn’t have the courage to insist on Geneva Convention treatment for people they handed over to the US. One SAS soldier is quoted saying “we sort of knew what would happen to the prisoners, Americans being Americans”.

PM John Key’s tells us any suspects this time will be handed over to Afghan authorities and he has assurances they will be well treated. Those assurances are worthless. This is the regime which suffocated hundreds of suspects in containers and which uses torture and murder as its modus operandi. The assurances given to Key are paper-thin at best.

There is no place for New Zealand troops or our provincial reconstruction team. Afghanistan needs money to help rebuild and this should be channelled through non-governmental organisations. The $180 million spent so far on reconstruction could have stretched a lot further if it wasn't spent on NZ soldiers doing the reconstruction work on the other side of the world.

ENDS

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