INTERVIEW / GENERAL GAWN <<


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Significant progress has been made and is clearly visible in the classrooms built; the wells and village water supplies connected; the roads that have been paved; the bridges and flood protection constructed and the hospitals refurbished...


(left) The New Zealand troops take time to play games with the local children


(right) On patrol in the Bamyan province in Afghanistan; a New Zealand soldier stands guard as the patrol convoy goes past


comparison to other coalition partners in Afghanistan. However, the insurgent capability seems to have matured. They have learnt from previous experiences and failures. The frequency of IED activity has increased and both the local security forces and the NZPRT are responding aggressively to counter this new level of threat. Taliban ambushes are becoming more sophisticated and effective. In the last three months both the local security forces and the NZPRT have suffered a number of losses resulting from Taliban action. For example, in a number of incidents throughout July and August the Afghan security forces lost 13 policemen to IED attacks and small arms fire. Similarly, in two separate incidents recently, on 4 August at Baghak two New Zealand Army soldiers were killed and six wounded, and again on 19 August, another Taliban IED-attack killed a further three New Zealand soldiers.


winter 2012_13 | globaldefencemedia.com


New Zealand, however, is proud of its contribution in Bamyan and of the sacrifices made by our troops and their families at home. Their sacrifice has not been in vain. As a direct result of the security that the NZPRT provides, significant progress has been made and is clearly visible in the classrooms built; the wells and village water supplies connected; the roads that have been paved; the bridges and flood protection constructed and the hospitals refurbished.


The work being carried out by the NZDF and other allied members in Afghanistan is vital and can only be for the good of the country. Unfortunately, work such as that outlined by General Gawn rarely reaches the general public, who only hear the bad news, when they should be given the full picture of what is involved in the war in Afghanistan. ■


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