NZ soldiers Taliban bomb pose 'stupid stunt'

New Zealand soldiers in Afghanistan pose with a bomb inscribed, 'Dear Taliban, enjoy this', and adorned with a Demon energy drink sticker. Photo / Supplied

The photograph of New Zealand soldiers posing next to a bomb with a message to Taliban fighters is a "stupid stunt" that could have lethal repercussions for their colleagues, says an academic.

University of Auckland senior lecturer Paul Buchanan said the photograph was inappropriate because of the advertisement it included for an energy drink.

He said there are also security implications because the image was sent back to New Zealand.

"All in all, a very stupid stunt by silly soldiers with possibly lethal repercussions for their mates," Dr Buchanan said.

A photograph showing three New Zealand troops in Afghanistan posing next to a bomb and writing the message: "Dear Taliban, enjoy this" was circulated by email last week. A sticker advertising an energy drink was also plastered to the bomb.

Dr Buchanan, who specialises in unconventional warfare and its underlying causes, said the image could have repercussions for Kiwi troops serving in the Bamyan province of Afghanistan.

He said New Zealanders were seen as "relatively impartial" in Afghanistan but this could lay them open to reprisals from Taliban fighters.

"That neutral appearance has now been compromised and they could be seen as servants of the Americans, UK and Australians who fly the jets on which such a bomb is loaded, and under whose command NZDF usually operate," Dr Buchanan said.

He said there was nothing new in soldiers writing "witticisms and vulgarities" on bombs that would later be dropped on the enemy.

"Yet it is the bomb photo that is the problem. The soldiers should be recalled and reprimanded because of the very serious error in judgement and the tie to a profit-making entity, as well as the emailing of the photo back to the energy drink company - which is a breach of communications security. A very bad look," Dr Buchanan said.

Another University of Auckland political studies lecturer, associate professor Stephen Hoadley, specialises in foreign policy and said the photo would only be dangerous to New Zealand troops if it associates them with the US.

"It is already public knowledge and no great secret that New Zealand is working with the US. The visual impact is more accessible to non-analysts and the instant connection with New Zealand to bombs that kill Afghans could accelerate the feeling that New Zealand is the enemy," Dr Hoadley said.

He said it would be hard to say if the photograph has made it more dangerous for troops on the ground.

Dr Hoadley said the ethnic group in Bamyan - the Hazara - are different to the Taleban and create a "buffer zone" around the New Zealand troops.

He said it is a "fair speculation" that the image could further endanger New Zealand troops but wont inspire Taliban fighters to single out New Zealand troops.

The military launched an investigation last week into the emailing of the photograph. Defence Force spokesman Chris Wright said today that there was no update in the investigation.

The photo of the New Zealand troops with the bomb shows the weapon had been plastered with Demon energy drink stickers showing the firm's "no limit no laws" logo.

Another photograph shows a soldier wielding two machine guns beside stickers and a bottle of drink.

The Army has previously refused to say what kind of bomb it was, but the Weekend Herald reported that the soldiers have claimed it was a "2000-pound bomb" due to be dropped on a Taliban training camp last month.

The bombs can be fired from fighter jets like the F-16 and are regularly used in air strikes in Afghanistan which are controversial because of the hundreds of civilian casualties they have caused.

The photographs were circulated by email on Friday, after being sent to Demon Drinks, then on to Radio Live.