June 1, 2005

SAS to Afghanistan shameful

'The deployment of more Special Air Service (SAS) troops to Afghanistan is shameful. Prime Minister Helen Clark is helping the US military in committing human rights violations and illegally occupying the country' said Peace Action Wellington member Valerie Morse

The SAS have been deployed to Afghanistan on two previous occasions since the start of the so-called 'War on Terrorism'. In both instances, they participated in 'direct action missions' which translates to combat involving the death of civilians. In June of 2004, one SAS soldier was injured in a gun battle.

'The US occupation of Afghanistan is a stunning failure. The country is no better off than it was under the Taliban. Four years of war and the country is in ruins, political stability is as far away as ever. Woman and children are being raped, torture is commonplace, opium production is soaring and US war profiteers are making a killing. Meanwhile, the people of Afghanistan are being murdered on a daily basis. At one point, an average of 62 innocent civilians a day were being killed in Afghanistan by Bush's coalition of the willing.'

'The New Zealand Defence Force must refuse to fight in these illegal wars of occupation involving gross human rights violations. The Prime Minister is using them as a political tool to advance her free trade agenda. The losers are the Afghani people and the soldiers who come home in body bags.

It is utterly revolting that this government claims to care about human rights when it is participating in a military invasion involving torture and the deaths of large numbers of civilians.'

ENDS

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