Mark: SAS inquiry necessary

Defence Minister Ron Mark says an inquiry into the New Zealand Defence Force’s actions during a raid in Afghanistan is necessary because its reputation has been ‘‘tarnished’’.

Attorney-General David Parker announced on Wednesday that the Government was launching an inquiry to deal with unanswered questions over what happened during Operation Burnham, a raid on a village in Afghanistan in 2010 that was detailed in Hit & Run ,by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson.

Mark said he had seen the same footage of the raid as Parker and supported the Cabinet decision to hold an inquiry after the book alleged the raid resulted in the deaths of six civilians, including a small child, and wounding 15 others.

‘‘I think the Defence Force right now faces allegations it cannot defend,’’ he said. ‘‘It is right and proper that we have an inquiry of this nature that lets the matter be cleared up.’’

He said the allegations had ‘‘tarnished the names of the men and women’’ who were part of the SAS and it had ‘‘tarnished the reputation’’ of the NZDF.

The inquiry is expected to take about a year and will initially cost $2 million.

Mark said the decision around whether an inquiry was held or not had nothing to do with money: ‘‘What price do you put on a unit and the men and women that serve in it?’’

He said there was a ‘‘degree of anxiety’’ among New Zealanders after serious allegations were made in the book.

‘‘It is important to me that the record be put straight.’’