11 August 2009

Yesterday Cabinet decided to deploy the SAS in Afghanistan again. A decision rather at odds with Prime Minister John Key's statement only last week that: "there's no place for violence in the New Zealand Parliament, of even the suggestion of violence and I think if that was the case Parliament should take a very hard line," he said. "We're the lawmakers and frankly we're meant to be role models to, particularly young, New Zealanders."

Not only is there more than a suggestion of violence in any SAS deployment, but it is hardly good role modeling for "the lawmakers" to breach the government's Defence Policy Framework, and to put armed forces personnel in a situation where they are likely to be complicit in torture (which is prohibited in NZ law) and implicated in killing civilians (which is apparently permitted, providing it takes place overseas).

This alert has five sections:

• 1) about the SAS deployment,
• 2) the Defence Policy Framework and human rights;
• 3) complicity in torture and the Crimes of Torture Act;
• 4) civilian casualties in Afghanistan, and
• 5) contact details for politicians.

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