NZ SAS 'too disciplined' to have fired first, says former top soldier

An SAS soldier. Photo / Supplied

A former top soldier believes an accusation that elite New Zealand SAS troops botched a raid in Afghanistan last week may be part of a Taleban 'information campaign'.

Former Chief of Army, Major General Lou Gardiner (retired) said New Zealand Special Air Service troops were too disciplined and too well trained to do what they were accused of by an Afghanistan man whose factory was raided in a raid sanctioned by the Nato International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).

During the raid by the SAS and Afghan security forces, two security guards were killed and two others were wounded.

The raid followed intelligence that suggested the United States Embassy in Kabul was about to be attacked.

After the raid the factory owner, Nawid Shah Sazhizada, reportedly said the New Zealand troops opened fire first and later apologised for the fatal firefight.

However, the New Zealand Defence Force said the troops fired in self defence when they came under fire from the security guards at the Tiger International Armour factory.

Maj Gen Gardiner, the Chief of Army for three years until he retired last year after 39 years service, said he would back what the SAS troops said over anyone else, particularly someone in Afghanistan whose credibility could not be confirmed.

"I have been with the SAS on a number of occasions and I don't think you would get a more principled bunch of guys."

He said they were well trained in the laws of armed conflict and knew the rules of engagement "backwards".

He said they were operating in Kabul where they knew they would not get away with anything.

The SAS was also accused of "firing in all directions" during the raid but Maj Gen Gardiner said that was not the SAS approach and not the way they had been trained to operate.

"That is absolute crap and I can say that confidently,

"I can tell you from experience, it is not their approach.

"The SAS is very, very conscious about the well-being of innocent bystanders. I can tell you that I have been with them. I know the way they think and know the way they are trained."

Lawyers presented soldiers with a range of different scenarios and every solder deployed outside New Zealand was qualified on the laws of armed conflict and rules of engagement.

They were very highly disciplined and if there was an inkling any SAS soldier was a loose cannon they were "out of there so fast it is not funny".

He said the Taleban was "very, very smart in its information campaign".

"Don't think they are a bunch of hicks sitting in Afghanistan. Their leadership understands the power of the media," he said.

The Defence Force in New Zealand said a large number of weapons, including the small arms used by the men who fired on the patrol, were found during the operation.

- NZPA