SAS controversy grows after Stephenson speaks

Print

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 6:05p.m.

The Green Party's Keith Locke wants a fresh enquiry into the allegations

The Green Party's Keith Locke wants a fresh enquiry into the allegations

By Dave Goosselink

Journalist Jon Stephenson says 55 villagers were taken in an SAS-led raid in 2002.

The prisoners were then handed over to a US detention centre in Kandahar, where they were allegedly abused.

"When they made us walk naked in front of all those Americans" says Abdul Wahid, "I was praying to my God to let me die.

“If someone could have sold me a poisoned tablet for $100,000, I would have bought it," he says.

On TV3's The Nation this morning, Stephenson claimed there's been "collective amnesia" from both defence bosses and successive Governments.

“What I do know is that the Prime Minister John Key, the Defence Minister Wayne Mapp, and Lt General Jerry Mateparae - the former head of the Defence Force - have not been up front, have made statements to the public that are not supported by the evidence I have found in Afghanistan,” he says.

And Metro magazine editor Simon Wilson is making no apologies for publishing the investigation over Anzac weekend.

“The Government puts our soldiers in an appalling situation, where because of Government policy that they are required to engage in the way they are. They are required effectively to break human rights law and international law,” he says.

The Green Party's Keith Locke wants a fresh enquiry into the allegations, independent of the Defence Minister and Defence Force.

“We need an enquiry that looks at the facts, whether Jon's story is true. It appears to be true and if it is true that's very fairly damning. And secondly looks at the legal foundation of what the Defence Force is doing,” he says.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp couldn't be contacted for his reaction to the calls for an inquiry today as he's en-route to Korea for the 60th commemorations of the Battle of Kapyong.

3 News

Become a fan of 3 News on Facebook and on Twitter.

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

08 May 2011 12:38p.m.

david paterson wrote:

Wendy, I wonder where you got the information that the 50 villagers were Taliban. And are all Taliban "bad guys". I used to be, unfortunately, in PR for a while and I would have wished my audience for the cray I put out were as credulous as you seem to be.

30 Apr 2011 01:59p.m.

Craig wrote:

Hello? This is not the United States of WW2, it is the post-Vietnam United States.

Note that there are several international treaties that expressly prohibit our collusion in torture that New Zealand and our armed forces are signatories to. I'd recommend that those who support the reported SAS actions take a good, long look at an article by Charles Krauthammer, a leading US neoconservative foreign policy figure, on how torture 'can' be morally justifiable.

29 Apr 2011 11:37p.m.

G Baxter wrote:

Don`t blame the Labour party, if anything the blame should be squarely placed on the nats!.

Besides, IT IS A WAR!, think of all the nasty inhumane terror the filthy dirty taliban have administered to the world!

We must STOP islamic terror at any cost

26 Apr 2011 01:00p.m.

Mike wrote:

@Leaking and how was Helen Clarke controlled by Fonterra? Yes Fonterra supports free trade, and NZ has been going free trade since the mid 80's. The NZ govt hasn't made any Fonterra contracts, it has made free trade agreements which benefit all NZ exporters, and importers with reduce tariffs from the parent countries.

Well there was the Sanlu disaster. Fonterra asked for help to deal with it and the Labour/Greens decided to sweep it all under the carpet. Babies were continuing to be poisoned and some were dying while sweeping it under the carpet so Labour/Greens thought was better to keep quiet. Why? The Olympics was about to start and it wouldn't look right. Labour/Greens were worried about PR, Fonterra was worried about people, which is why Fonterra released the disaster to the world after first trying to get it sorted through the Chinese govt, and then through the NZ govt. If we take the NZ govt response for that and other disasters we would expect no action from Labour/Greens for about a month after a disaster like Febs Christchurch quake - its their track record. While we are on about the 'profit hungry' Fonterra - caring about people cost them over $300 mil or over $30,000 per supplier average.

The evidence shows Fonterra is much more caring than the Labour/Greens. Fonterra had by law been forced to supply its competitors milk at cost - that was hardly in Fonterras interest either. Take the NZ retail market, 1/2 of the Fonterra supplied milk for NZ consumption is supplied at cost, ie 0% margin by Fonterra - we can see the hugh profit they are making on that! Imagine Leaking working for nothing to supply labour to a competitor - thats basically what Fonterra does supplying 1/2 the NZ retail milk market at cost.

If your looking for dirt, you will find so much more in the Labour/Greens than with Fonterra. Only someone so one-eyed and incapable to find their own butt with 2 hands, a map and instructions will think otherwise.

26 Apr 2011 10:03a.m.

Leaking wrote:

Why are we in Afghanistan? Because Helen Clark needed to secure contracts for Fonterra. And THAT is why John Key hates Wikileaks. Labour or National, corruption knows no boundaries.

26 Apr 2011 07:48a.m.

Bob wrote:

We don't need to waste money on an Investigation over these accusations. Simon Wilson needs to put his money where his mouth is and front up some concrete evidence on the matter for a start. You can't go throwing accusations around like this whilst also staying tight lipped about what your info source is. If NZ had any involvement in the mis-treatment of prisoners, it would have aleady been brought to light during the investigation into the Americans in 2002.

24 Apr 2011 01:06p.m.

Get A Perm wrote:

well found Doug, that was my thoughts exactly. "And Metro magazine editor Simon Wilson is making no apologies for publishing the investigation over Anzac weekend." Of course hes bloody not. Controversy, however stale and untruthful still sells magazines and wins awards.

24 Apr 2011 12:14p.m.

watchingNZ wrote:

Hey here s a good reason to vote nats: watch this go Global and Internationaly

24 Apr 2011 12:06p.m.

Dodger wrote:

As usual, our homegrown terrorist Keith Locker calling for more taxpayers money on inquiries that we don't need. Teflon coated Nats or not, Labour in power would have done the same.

24 Apr 2011 10:13a.m.

John Griffiths wrote:

Funny how TVNZ does not report the govts bad points such as this. All they do, particularly the Breakfast show, who have their heads so far up John Keys rear end that they can not see the truth.