Scoop Audio – NZ Defence Staff On Soldier’s Death
Scoop Audio: New Zealand’s Chief of Defence says the death of a New Zealand soldier in Afghanistan was always a likely outcome of
its operations in the war-torn country. Defence staff at a press conference Wednesday confirmed the killing of
Lieutenant Timothy O’Donnell, 28, and wounding of three more in a firefight in Bamiyan Province at around 4am
Afghanistan time this morning. Air Vice-Marshal Peter Stockwell said a roadside bomb exploded near O’Donnell’s convoy
and a group of insurgents attacked the convoy with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades shortly after. The
insurgents dispersed after 20 to 30 minutes but low-hanging clouds and poor visibility prevented recovery staff from
airlifting the soldiers to safety. The soldiers are now back at Kiwi base but it is understood one man has burns on 10
percent of his body and another has a broken foot. An Afghan interpreter was also injured but Stockwell says none of the
survivors’ injuries are life-threatening. Chief Of Defence Jerry Mateparae rejected said a death after 7 years’
deployment was not inevitable. Asked if a death in Afghanistan was inevitable, Mateparae said Afghanistan was a
dangerous place. “We and the government have indicated that this is a likely outcome of the operations, and my people
are under no doubt when they go on all operations that there is a significant risk – if it was a benign place we
wouldn’t be there. “Having said that we make sure that we prepare them well to meet those….The tactics, the techniques
and the procedures and the things that you would expect in this extremist event have been done professionally.” Defence
Minister Wayne Mapp said the Government knew the risks when it made the decision to redeploy the army’s Provincial
Reconstruction Team. The death had not affected the Government’s commitment to keep the soldiers in Afghanistan until 11
September, he said.
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