Prime Minister John Key recently spent three days in Afghanistan visiting New Zealand Defence Force troops. He was accompanied by Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae.
Welcome!
Complete with body armour protection, Mr Key stated, “This is a dangerous place and I am asking New Zealanders to come here and represent New Zealand but in doing that, to put their own lives on the line. I am not prepared to send people to a destination I am not prepared to come to myself.”
Mr Key said the importance to global solidarity of New Zealand’s involvement was “huge”.
“The New Zealanders are very good at what they do. They have played a hugely successful and a tremendous role here. Everywhere we go they have been complimented on what they do.”
During his visit, the PM met New Zealand Special Air Service soldiers in Kabul and the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan. He also met with Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, General Stanley McChrystal.
Mr Key said President Karzai was grateful for New Zealand’s contribution to the international force in Afghanistan.