Wellington, Aug 25: Nearly 100 New Zealand troops were given a send off by Prime Minister Helen Clark as they flew out of Christchurch this morning headed for Afghanistan, where they will staff a provincial reconstruction team in Bamian province, about 200 kilometres north-west of Kabul. The New Zealanders will be one of four reconstruction teams established to help Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's transitional government extend its influence beyond the capital. Clark said that while the overall security environment in Afghanistan was difficult, the high altitude Bamian region was relatively more stable than other parts of the country and there had long been strong sentiment against the former Taliban regime in the area. Bureau Report