By AUDREY YOUNG
The Alliance caucus yesterday accepted without fuss reports that Special Air Service troops have been sent to Afghanistan this week.
But leading party members vowed to argue for the party to officially differentiate on the war at its next council meeting in February.
Alliance leader and Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton reported to the caucus yesterday on the SAS deployment - apparently without breaching rules and confirming that the SAS had been sent.
He was part of the top-level cabinet subcommittee that approved their departure.
"There is no adverse comment from anyone I can detect from anyone in the Alliance at this stage in the way these matters are being handled," he said after the meeting.
The position would be re-examined at the next caucus meeting on February 4.
"There was a general understanding of the issues that we are confronted with, the way in which we are confronting them," he said.
"There wasn't any serious objection raised about those matters, given that we have an understanding that there will be a continuing report on the review."
The Alliance has been split over its caucus vote on October 3 in support of the SAS deployment.
The rift culminated in a breakdown - now on the mend - in the relationship between Mr Anderton and president Matt McCarten.
The party conference ordered the caucus to review its position.
The review was completed last week by Corrections Minister Matt Robson, and no change has been made.
Former Robson aide and Alliance councillor Mike Treen, of Auckland, said if the February caucus meeting did not recommend differing with Labour, he would move so at the Alliance council meeting that month.
"What I feared would happen has happened. That is, it has dragged on and we are becoming implicated in a war that we have no control of and that has unclear objectives, and we are involved with people on the ground who have massive human rights violations."
He has the support of another councillor, Dave Macpherson, who believes the military action is not authorised by the United Nations.
"The situation in Afghanistan has changed dramatically. We would have hoped that our MPs would have changed their stance accordingly.
"I think the situation calls for that now. There was no war when the decision was made to commit troops.
"We've had massive bombing, thousands of civilian casualties, and a delay in the delivery of aid."
National leader Bill English questioned the need for secrecy over the SAS deployment - which has all but been officially confirmed.
He suggested in Parliament it was convenient to keep it secret "because the Alliance do not support it".
Prime Minister Helen Clark said: "Advertising their whereabouts and likely activities can only increase the level of danger they face."
But earlier in the day, Mr Anderton confirmed by default that the SAS was on its way when a reporter asked if travel by Hercules aircraft was the only way of getting there.
"Well, they could have walked," he said. "Afghanistan is a long way away ... "
NZ's three-phase action
TRACK ONE
Military: New Zealand has sent an estimated 30 SAS troops in two Hercules aircraft as a contribution to the US-led military coalition to eliminate Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network and oust the Taleban regime.
TRACK TWO
Peacekeeping: New Zealand has offered officers for a staff headquarters and personnel for air resupply systems - up to 27 - towards a British-led stabilisation force which will let a new Government be formed.
TRACK THREE
Humanitarian: In February, New Zealand will contribute a white-painted Hercules for six months to work with the UN World Food programme in Afghanistan.
Story archives:
Links: War against terrorism
Timeline: Major events since the Sept 11 attacks
Alliance faction frets over SAS mission
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