  It is shown that a 4D N=1 softly broken supersymmetric theory with higher
derivative operators in the Kahler or the superpotential part of the Lagrangian
and with an otherwise arbitrary superpotential, can be re-formulated as a
theory without higher derivatives but with additional (ghost) superfields and
modified interactions. The importance of the analytical continuation
Minkowski-Euclidean space-time for the UV behaviour of such theories is
discussed in detail. In particular it is shown that power counting for
divergences in Minkowski space-time does not always work in models with higher
derivative operators.
