New Zealand First Wants Assurances Over Afghan Money

New Zealand First Wants Assurances Over Afghan Money

New Zealand First is deeply concerned that some of the $11.3 million earmarked for the Afghan Security Forces may be finding its way into the Taleban.

“Can Foreign Minister Murray McCully look Kiwis in the eye and promise them that not one cent is finding its way to the Taleban,” says New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Spokesperson on Defence Ron Mark.

“He can’t because this government has forgotten that charity begins at home. Corruption is so widespread in Afghanistan that they’d win gold at Rio if it was a sport. This is all but confirmed by a 2016 United States Department of Defense report on Operation Freedom Sentinel.

“On the Afghani Police, the US United States Department of Defense said: ‘Problems include corruption, desertions, substantial illiteracy, and use of drugs. Additionally, because ANP [Afghan National Police] members serve the same communities in which they were raised, they often become improperly involved in local factional or ethnic disputes’.

“Some five percent of the uniformed police aren’t even trained before we get to the cot-case that is the Afghan Local Police. A force where there are ’ghost’ police on the payroll lining the pockets of corrupt officials and warlords.

“As for the Afghan National Army (ANA), the US United States Department of Defense adds: ‘ANA manpower problems can be traced back to a significant attrition problem, which has multiple causes, including poor leadership, continual combat operations, shortages of individual equipment, and difficulty in travelling to and from home during leave’. In others words, desertion.

“In May Stars and Stripes reported that the US-led coalition had taken control of procuring uniforms and boots for the Afghan army and Afghan National Police Force due to widespread corruption and incompetence.

“It’s so bad that Stars and Stripes said: ‘If first impressions really can be gleaned from footwear, Afghan security forces may be about as disjointed and ragged as a state-run military can get’.

“Why are New Zealand personnel still in this sideshow. It has long been obvious that it has been a no-win situation and as long as we have personnel deployed in Afghanistan there is always the possibility of even further ‘mission creep’.

“The funding will extend the deployment until June 2018, but knowing the National government, this could well be extended.

“We’ve been in Afghanistan since 2003 – thirteen years is long enough.

“It is time New Zealand got out; our defence force does not exist to teach English or act as mentors,” Mr Mark says.

ENDS