Cabinet to look at civilian role in Afghanistan

The Cabinet will today discuss sending New Zealand civilians to Afghanistan's Bamyan province to complement and eventually replace the military Provincial Reconstruction Team there when it returns in September next year.

Joint command between the Army and a civilian team may be proposed for Bamyan with a staged handover to an entirely civilian operation, the Herald understands.

The Cabinet will also discuss today a fourth deployment of the SAS, covered in a review of New Zealand's contribution.

Prime Minister John Key has already made it clear that the Government will agree to the request for the SAS, conveyed by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Foreign Minister Murray McCully.

That could be announced today.

The SAS has served in Afghanistan three times between December 2001 and November 2005.

Corporal Willie Apiata was awarded the Victoria Cross last year for actions in saving a comrade's life under fire in Afghanistan in 2004.