March 27, 2017
Why we need to care about the war crime allegations out of Afghanistan
Why we need to care about the war crime allegations out of Afghanistan
MARTYN 'BOMBER' BRADBURY OPINION
The astounding allegations of possible war crimes conducted by the NZ SAS in a 2010 revenge attack in Afghanistan released by investigative journalists Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson have been met with denial by the NZDF and the Government.
That denial is simply not good enough.
There are too many questions that have been raised by the book Hit and Run to simply shrug off the accusations. 21 civilians were killed and maimed in the attack, and the details that have been given to Hager and Stephenson by sources within the military itself are just too precise to be a lie.
Here are the 16 questions that Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson have put out before the NZDF in response to the NZDFs claim that there were no civilians killed…
1. Does he accept a large SAS contingent went to the Tirgiran valley in two Chinook transport helicopters on 22 August 2010?
2. Does he deny that the two helicopters and the SAS troops went to two different small villages that night?
3. Does he deny that they found none of the insurgents they were looking for in either village?
4. Does he confirm that nine insurgents were killed in Operation Burnham (refer NZDF Media Release 20 April 2011, page 136 Hit and Run?)?
5. If NZDF confirms that nine insurgents were killed in Operation Burnham, what were their names?
6. Did SAS snipers shoot people that night?
7. Does he deny that the SAS members and their allies destroyed a dozen houses that night?
8. Does he deny that the NZDF received a video from an informer just days after the raid showing all the insurgents alive at the funerals on the day following the raid?
9. Does he deny the six civilian deaths reported by UNAMA, New York Times and local Afghan media followingwere part of Operation Burnham?
10. Does he deny that the book’s sources had revealed the SAS raid was called Operation Burnham and that this name was recorded in the book, before the NZDF confirmed that name in its statement last night?
11. Does he expect New Zealanders to believe that there were two different raids called Operation Burnham to the same valley on the same night, one that killed civilians and one that did not?
12. Is he claiming Khak Khuday Dad villagers, including 3 year old Fatima did not die as part of Operation Burnham?
13. Does he deny that the SAS went back to the valley for a second raid about ten days later?
14. Why has Tim Keating said nothing about other revelations in the book, such as the beating and torture of a prisoner?
15. Does he deny that the SAS captured the prisoner Qari Miraj and transferred him to the secret police where he was tortured?
16. Is he prepared to resign if it is confirmed that civilians died in the SAS-led raid in Baghlan province on 22 August 2010?
For the sake of our Country's honour, we need to have these questions answered honestly and openly. If we have done wrong here, we must immediately attempt to repair this terrible war crime.
It is the least we can do if we are to respect ourselves and our military again.
Martyn Bradbury
Editor – TheDailyBlog.co.nz
twitter.com/CitizenBomber
Radio Waatea and it's Board would like to advise that the opinions posted are those of Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury and not the views of Radio Waatea, it's Management or it's Board.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com