Afghan stay won't affect rugby: Key

A member of the NZ SAS on patrol in Afghanistan. Photo / Supplied

Prime Minister John Key says he is confident security for the Rugby World Cup will not be compromised by the decision to extend the deployment of the Special Air Service in Afghanistan.

Mr Key announced a smaller deployment of the crack troops would stay on in Kabul for a further year after their initial 18 month stint ends in March.

The troops will remain attached to the Afghan Crisis Response Unit and will serve in two rotations of 35 troops - half of the current 70.

One of the factors in the decision was the Rugby World Cup, which a number of foreign dignitaries are expected to attend. The SAS is expected to play a crucial role in security.

Mr Key said he was assured by the Chief of the Defence Force that the SAS's world cup commitments would not be compromised by the small contingent remaining in Afghanistan.

He expected it to be the last deployment in Afghanistan and said the SAS had requested it to allow troops to complete their work with the crisis response unit so it could continue on without them. He believed the SAS was best placed to assess the situation, so he had taken the request on board.

"I can't detail every operation, but I think it's fair to say the praise heaped on the SAS from our partners around the world and from others is fully justified from the information I have. So I can appreciate their desire to stay on a bit longer."

The Government also expected to make a decision on New Zealand's wider deployment in Afghanistan - including the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan - within the next few months. Although the SAS was well-placed for a hand-over of control, a decision on how quickly a withdrawal could happen had to be made.

Although Labour had previously sent the SAS to Afghanistan, its leader Phil Goff opposed the 2009 deployment saying the Afghan Government was clearly corrupt. Yesterday he repeated his concerns, saying New Zealand should instead focus on reconstruction in Bamiyan.

Green MP Keith Locke also called for the return of the troops, saying Mr Key had clearly caved in to pressure from the United States and involvement in the "unwinnable war" was harming New Zealand's reputation.

He cited the recent incident in which NZ SAS troops were involved in a raid in which two Afghan security guards were killed. The troops were later cleared of wrongdoing.

Mr Key said no formal request was made by the United States, although the contribution of the SAS had been emphasised.

New Zealand's role in Afghanistan was raised when US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton visited last November. She said she would like the SAS to stay on but it was a decision for New Zealand to make.

The issue was also raised during last month's visit by British Foreign Minister William Hague and Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who praised New Zealand's commitment in Afghanistan, especially compared with other "sleeping giants" who were not pulling their weight.

Soon after their deployment in 2009 a Herald-DigiPoll survey showed while 44.6 per cent of people approved of the SAS fighting the Taleban, a similar number - 43.1 per cent - did not want them back in the increasingly controversial war.