We support calls for an inquiry
By Alan Tristram, Editor KIN
The ‘Action Stations’ group says the Government’s PR machine is continuing to stonewall calls for an independent inquiry into the deaths of innocent people during a raid led by our SAS soldiers.
It says: ‘Yesterday, former National Party MP and Defence Minister Dr Wayne Mapp revealed he was a key source for the Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson book ‘Hit & Run’ which first revealed details of the deaths of innocent Afghan villagers.1
It’s imperative there’s an independent inquiry into these deaths.’ The Kapiti Independent agrees.
Dr Mapp knows what he’s talking about. Not only does he have a PhD in International Law but was the Minister responsible for the military at the time.
Yet Prime Minister Bill English seems content keeping the details of what really happened during the raids covered up.2
An inquiry is crucial to maintain the core essence of a healthy democracy; transparency and accountability.
As Wayne Mapp says, “we can honour both our soldiers and the Afghans, but only by finding out what really happened on that August night in 2010”.3
This is a strikingly similar to what ActionStation co-director Marianne Elliott said when she appeared on Q+A over the weekend:
New Zealand prides itself on being a force for good in the world. It won’t be comfortable to admit we’ve also sometimes been a force for great suffering and harm, but avoiding the truth doesn’t make it go away.
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