Media release: Kiwi troops contribute to terrorism
From: Peace Action Wellington
Date: 11 April

The NZDF is preparing to send another round of troops off to Afghanistan
to contribute to the on-going occupation of the country by US and NATO
troops.

"Phil Goff would have us believe that the NZDF is all about peacekeeping
and reconstruction in Afghanistan. But six years on, there is no more
peace or stability in Afghanistan than there was when the US started
bombing the country" said Peace Action member Valerie Morse.

"When you consider that there are more than 20,000 US troops in the
country, it is really not surprising that there is continuing conflict.
The New Zealand troops are effectively there to support the US-puppet
government in Kabul and to prop up numbers."

"The government has done a good propaganda job convincing New Zealanders
that NZDF deployments to Afghanistan are necessary and beneficial. If we
look behind the rhetoric, it is easy to see that this is just another
battlefield in Bush's imperial war of conquest. Clark and Goff want to be
sure to stay on the right side of the US by offering up troops. It is a
sick bit of double-speak."

"Goff's revelations of SAS involvement in handing over Afghanis to the US
military is evidence of NZ's complicity in the subjugation of the local
population there."

"When will the Labour government realise that supporting US wars of
aggression only support terrorism, not stop it? Thousands of Afghani
people have been murdered in bombing raids and unprovoked assassinations
since 2001. Genuine peace and stability can only be achieved when the
occupation ceases."

Peace Action Wellington is committed to stopping the involvement of New
Zealand troops in overseas wars. For more details, check out
www.peacewellington.org