Wayne Mapp

Wellington, May 5 NZPA - Senior ministers are reluctant to comment on New Zealand's ongoing commitments in Afghanistan before Prime Minister John Key returns and briefs them on the assessment he has made of the situation there.

Mr Key said in Kabul he would consider extending the SAS deployment which is due to end in March next year, indicating it might continue beyond the deadline but with fewer personnel.

There are about 70 of the elite troops in Afghanistan and the commander of the International Security Assistance Force, US General Stanley McChrystal, said after meeting Mr Key he would like them to stay.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully yesterday told reporters he hadn't expected that comment and Mr Key would have made his own assessment of the situation.

He said Mr Key and Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae, who went to Afghanistan with the prime minister, would have discussed the issue "in considerable detail".

"We'll look at the prime minister's report when he gets back and no doubt have some discussions over the next few days," Mr McCully said.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said the Government had always made it clear there would be a "staging out" of New Zealand troops.

"The prime minister has been over there getting the situation on the ground and he'll be briefing me fully when he gets back," Dr Mapp said.