Kiwi PM: SAS wants to stay in Afghanistan longer

Within minutes of arriving in Kabul on a long planned visit, Mr Key was whisked off to meet the SAS. About 80 of them are based in the countrys Capital city.

The SAS are due to finish here next March, and Mr Key says he is now considering extending that."The SAS preference would be to have a smaller contingent to stay for a bit longer -- whether that meets favour with us is something we'd have to consider."

Mr Key met US General Stanley McChrystal. He's in charge of this war, and he told Mr Key it is important the Kiwi troops in Kabul and the 140 in Bamiyan stay on as long as possible.

"I indicated the value, and how much we appreciate, the professionalism and effectiveness of the force," said Gen McChrystal.
Mr Key says the SAS is highly valued. Two weeks ago they crushed a major insurgency.

"They recovered one of the largest caches that we've seen recovered here in downtown Kabul," says Mr Key. "It was semtex, it was missiles, it was all sorts of stuff. Hand grenades."

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News & Politics

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• Kiwi
• SAS
• Afghanistan
• taliban
• insurgents
• kabul
• interview
• SBS

[Chubachus]

Didnt know they were there

[mrolivier718]

Kiwi's deserve credit