The Cabinet has approved an additional three more non-combat New Zealand Defence Force personnel go to Afghanistan to join 10 staff already there in a Nato-led mission. The other two will work in the Nato mission HQ in Kabul, Defence Minister Mark Mitchell said today. New Zealand has been in Afghanistan since 2001 as part of an international force in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Mitchell said the boost was part of an effort to prevent Afghanistan becoming a safe haven for terrorists. "New Zealand will continue to stand alongside our partners in supporting stability in Afghanistan and countering the threat of international terrorism.''

Source: Otago Daily Times August 24, 2017 23:37 UTC