WELLINGTON: New Zealand SAS troops are to return to Afghanistan within two months to help in the increasingly dangerous and controversial war with the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Military sources say a contingent of the elite SAS will return to Afghanistan, perhaps as early as next month. Previous contingents have numbered between 40 and 65.
But former SAS troopers have told the Sunday Star-Times soldiers who had served there were worried about the conduct of some US and Australian special forces.
The New Zealand SAS's last round of duty in Afghanistan ended in November 2005. Defence Minister Phil Goff says the government has "no plans at present" to send the SAS back, but will not rule it out.
Prime Minister Helen Clark may be saving the announcement for her meeting with president George Bush in the White House. Last week she announced that New Zealand's 120-strong provincial reconstruction team would remain in Bamiyan province in Afghanistan for another year.
Sources say some New Zealand SAS soldiers were concerned about the "trigger-happy" attitude of American and Australian special forces in Afghanistan. One former SAS soldier told the Sunday Star- Times that colleagues who had served in Afghanistan were unhappy with some American troops whose conduct was "nothing but murder".
Another former SAS soldier said there had been concern about the systematic killing by coalition snipers of Afghanis seen carrying weapons, but who did not pose a threat.
"A guy comes out of the town with an AK (47) in his hand, maybe he's the goatherd or whatever, and `bang'. The (New Zealand) chaps weren't happy with that."
SAS soldiers had also complained about the Australian SAS.
"There was a lot of boasting between different elements in Afghanistan about what their snipers could do, which really did not run favourably with our boys," said one former SAS officer.
He added: "As much as the guys enjoy the excitement and thrill of it all, there's a moral strength about them that makes them question (such behaviour)."
Australian Prime Minister John Howard flew into Iraq yesterday to visit Australian troops and talk strategy with top US generals, two days after he slipped into Afghanistan, where he is also said to be considering deploying SAS troops. Three Australian soldiers were slightly wounded in a Friday night rocket attack at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan.
Sources confirmed to the Star- Times that in 2002, New Zealand SAS forces complained about American treatment of prisoners they had captured and handed over. The New Zealanders had then called a meeting with the special forces of other countries based with them at Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.
Goff says no SAS troops have complained to him personally about American misconduct, and he could not comment on what individual soldiers had said about other country's troops.
"I think what you'd find is among special forces anywhere, New Zealand special forces would be among the more disciplined and more careful."
There has been mounting international criticism of American treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq. The American Human Rights Watch organisation last month said there had been numerous cases of abuse and killings in Afghanistan implicating the US military and the CIA.
The Taliban and the leaders of the Nato forces in Afghanistan have said there will be major battles in eastern and southern Afghanistan in the northern spring.
New Zealand First defence spokesman Ron Mark said there were fears that Al Qaeda was re- forming and that the Taliban was becoming more active in areas of Afghanistan previously considered low-risk. | 
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