Max Bradford National Defence Spokesperson
22 January 2002
Elite soldiers not camp builders
National today called on Helen Clark to assure New Zealanders that our SAS troops are being utilised in the areas they
are trained and funded for, rather than building camps for German commandos in Kabul, National Defence spokesperson Max
Bradford said today.
"It is little wonder that the Prime Minister would neither confirm nor deny that our troops were in Afghanistan when our
most elite soldiers are acting more like army engineers in constructing buildings instead of being on active duty.
"For a Prime Minister who professes to respect openness in Government it is now clear the reason she wanted to keep this
secret when the rest of the world knows what New Zealanders are not allowed to know - that we have troops in
Afghanistan.
"We expect these specialist troops to be used in the roles they are trained and funded for. If the reports from the
German newspapers that our SAS troops are renovating camps in Kabul are correct then I call on Helen Clark to act
decisively over the use of our troops," Mr Bradford said.
Ends