Mana calls for withdrawal from Afghanistan after NZ death

29 September 2011

Mana calls for an immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan in wake of another NZ death

MANA’s thoughts are with the whanau of Lance Corporal Leon Smith who has died fighting in Afghanistan but MANA also demands New Zealand troop withdrawal from this foreign war said MANA Foreign Affairs spokesperson John Minto.

"Prime Minister John Key has sold our involvement in this war as reconstruction and helping the people of Afghanistan but this latest death has nothing to do with building schools or digging wells. Neither were the New Zealand troops involved in a "mentoring" role when Leon Smith was killed. The 15 NZSAS soldiers were there in the thick of it and armed to the teeth.

“This "mentoring" claim is a deliberate deception. We heard the same message as the Vietnam War progressed with the US and New Zealand on the losing side.

“Heightening this tragic and pointless loss of life is the suggestion the incident in which Smith was killed was in fact a feud between two families rather than any supposed terrorist threat.

“As MANA has pointed out in the last few days New Zealand's involvement in Afghanistan has nothing to do with fighting terrorism but is simply to curry favour with the US. Key says he intends for NZ troops to be withdrawn in March next year but just like his promise not to raise GST, his promise to bring our soldiers home to their whanau in March next year will be the first promise he breaks if re-elected."

ENDS