Rt Hon Helen Clark
Prime Minister

18 October 2001

New Zealanders were shocked and horrified by the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

New Zealand pledged support to the United States and I wrote to President George W Bush to express our country's revulsion at the atrocities committed against the United States.

I said "New Zealand will help in any way that it can" and we are. The Government began by offering political, diplomatic, and intelligence-sharing capabilities in New Zealand.

New Zealand has also offered its crack Special Air Service troops for an international military operation against terrorism.

The international effort to deal to terrorism will be long and determined. Terrorism is a difficult and elusive enemy. The organisation responsible for the terror of 11 September is not a nation State. It cannot be negotiated with. It cannot be brought to account before a court of law, because it does not operate within a justice system.

Here at home there has been no information to suggest that New Zealand might be a particular target for any future terrorist attacks. But we cannot be complacent and a number of postal organisations have been temporarily closed down because of anthrax scares.

I am satisfied that we have in place- through Police and emergency services - appropriate and common sense preventative and immediate response systems.