PM quiet on inquiry into raid

Prime Minister Bill English is staying quiet on whether he will launch an inquiry into a deadly Afghanistan raid involving the SAS, as protesters prepare for a vigil outside Parliament.

English, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Tim Keating met yesterday afternoon to discuss allegations raised by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson’s book, Hit & Run.

The book claims an SAS-led raid on two villages in the Tirgiran Valley in 2010 caused the deaths of six civilians, including a young child, but no insurgents.

The Government has come under pressure to investigate the allegations, with Labour, the Greens, NZ First and UnitedFuture all calling for an inquiry.

On Sunday, TVNZ’s Q+A reported the Defence Force had admitted there may have been at least one civilian killed, referring to a ‘‘suspected civilian casualty’’ in response to an Official Information Act request.

Labour leader Andrew Little said the admission added weight to calls for an inquiry.

‘‘I think there are enough questions around this particular operation, without getting into blame-shifting mode, for New Zea- landers’ confidence in their defence forces, to know what actually happened.’’

Little believed a retired judge would be the best choice to head up an inquiry, given the gravity of the allegations. ‘‘What you do need is somebody experienced at deciding facts and examining people, and that’s why a High Court judge or even more senior than a High Court judge ought to be involved.’’

Little’s comments came as protesters announced a vigil outside Parliament this morning to encourage the Government to hold an ‘‘open and independent’’ inquiry into the raid.

Vigil spokesman Adrian Leason said the Government needed to show moral leadership in dealing with the allegations.

‘‘The honourable thing to do now, in particular for the Afghan survivors, is to hold a full and independent inquiry and to comply with the recommendations that follow.’’

While a number of years had passed since the attack, it was ‘‘never too late for a merciful and principled response by the Crown’’, Leason said.

A spokesman for English confirmed he had met Brownlee and Keating, but had nothing further to add. Speaking to media on Saturday, English said he would make a decision soon about whether to hold an inquiry, following his briefing.