US requests New Zealand SAS troops for war in Afghanistan…
The New Zealand National government of Prime Minister John Key revealed on April 19 that it had received an official request from the United States for the highly trained Special Air Services (SAS) combat unit to return to Afghanistan.
The announcement followed a meeting on April 7 between Foreign Minister Murray McCully and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during which Clinton praised New Zealand’s involvement in the war over the past seven years and stated that “its elite SAS troops distinguished themselves early on”.
The New Zealand government will respond to the request in August following a review of its Defence Force operations. While it has been careful not to forecast any decision, it is more than likely to send the troops.
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