Three Army LAVS heading for Afghanistan...

Three of the army's light armoured vehicles and their crews are being sent to Afghanistan to support the Special Air Service (SAS) troops in operations there.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said the deployment would be for as long as necessary.

"They will provide increased protected mobility for our personnel, particularly from improvised explosive devices. These are one of the greatest threats to coalition forces in Afghanistan," Dr Mapp said.

In early October Prime Minister John Key confirmed New Zealand SAS troops were in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The location of New Zealand's secretive SAS troops was revealed by Norway's defence chief, who said the New Zealanders were replacing their Norwegian equivalents.

The New Zealand Government had a policy not to publicly divulge their whereabouts.

The Norwegians had been involved in the arrest of several wanted insurgent leaders responsible for planning and running suicide attacks against targets in the Kabul region.

Insurgent activity has been increasing recently and another New Zealand military deployment in Afghanistan came under fire last month.

A patrol, comprising Hiluxes and Hummers, was returning from the northeastern area of Bamyan province, when it came under fire from insurgents armed with small arms and rocket propelled grenades.

New Zealand has about 140 defence force personnel running a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Bamyan.

A couple of the patrol's vehicles suffered minor damage but there were no injuries in the last exchange.

In June a home made bomb exploded in front of a New Zealand patrol. No one was injured.


Acknowledgements: NZPA

Heavy surveillance of Fijian people by illegal Fijian military regime...

Surveillance of Fijian people by illegal Fijian military regime...

Could New Zealand's elite special forces units, the SAS, be called in to restore democracy in Fiji. God help the Fijian military if this happens. The NZ SAS is one of the premier special forces units in the world.

Prominent Auckland lawyer Peter Williams QC says there is no doubt heavy surveillance is going on in Fiji. He says phones are being tapped and emails intercepted, meaning there is no confidential communication at all.

Mr Williams says the Fijian military is actively spying on people and has been for some time. He says it is affecting the work of lawyers in the island nation.

"It means a lot of the lawyers are afraid to use phones for anything confidential . . . they're just afraid to put anything that might be interpreted adversely."

Mr Williams says all freedoms people are used to, have been abolished, and comprehensive files are held on people who are deemed to be anti-government.

The New Zealand Government is continuing to suggest a military option is on the table, if the situation worsens in Fiji. Prime Minister John Key has raised the suggestion, but also says it is unlikely any troops will be sent. Defence Minister Wayne Mapp expects the Government's contact with Fiji to remain diplomatic.

However Associate Defence Minister Heather Roy says military diplomacy is one of a range of options that could be used.

"It's using the military to best effect to try and help settle some of the problems that we have. We've got a long history, and a proud history actually, with Fiji."

Many New Zealanders appear to be turning away from Fiji as a holiday destination. Figures out today show 2,000 fewer New Zealanders took a short stay in Fiji in in March, when compared to March last year. While fewer New Zealanders are taking overseas holidays overall, Fiji has suffered the biggest drop of any country.

Will military action from without occur in Fiji? Will New Zealand SAS troops be seen in Fiji? God help the Fijian military if that happens!



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