SAS passes the buck to minister
An SAS commander says he informed the Defence Minister of possible civilian deaths during a raid in Afghanistan, again shifting responsibility for an alleged coverup.
Defence Force top brass continues to stare down allegations of civilian deaths during a 2010 SAS-led raid, as the Operation Burnham inquiry restarts a public hearing this week.
The hearing was upset last month after new evidence suddenly emerged, naming retired Colonel Jim Blackwell as handling a crucial report that confirmed possible deaths.
Blackwell yesterday provided his chapter in a story of Defence Force errors and mistakes which explains how the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) report was either overlooked or, it’s alleged, buried.
The former director of special operations said he received the report from an officer in Afghanistan on September 1, 2011, then promptly informed the deputy chief of staff Michael Thompson and briefed Defence Minister Wayne Mapp.
This would mean Mapp, who is expected to be interviewed on Friday, knew possible civilian deaths were confirmed in September 2011.
Mapp’s evidence confirmed he was briefed by Blackwell, the inquiry heard, and it was said his office shredded the documents when there was a change of minister.
Four months earlier, Mapp told the public the SAS raid was entirely cleared of the allegations, based on briefings former chief of defence Sir Jerry Mateparae has already admitted were wrong.
But the public record was not corrected when the report, which confirmed possible civilian deaths because of the malfunction of a US Apache helicopter gunship, after Blackwell and Mapp discussed it.
Inquiry lawyer Kristy McDonald, QC, questioned Blackwell on whether he truly conveyed the significance of the report.
‘‘The minister was very familiar with the document when I briefed him.
‘‘My answer was clear. I don’t have any evidence to suggest there may have been [deaths] because there were several rounds from an Apache, from an incorrect gun sight slaving,’’ he said.
Blackwell said it was not for him to tell the minister what to do with the information.
The possible deaths were only publicly acknowledged in 2014, after the report was unexpectedly discovered among documents by a staffer of Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman.
Defence chiefs have told the inquiry they had no idea how the report appeared in a safe of the chief of defence in 2014, after investigating the matter for the minister.
But Blackwell said he gave the report to Thompson to brief the chief of defence, Lieutenant General Rhys Jones, three years earlier.
Again, McDonald questioned whether he made clear the reports findings and asked why no-one acted on this information.
Blackwell said: ‘‘I told them there may have been civilian casualties . . . It’s not for me to tell them what to do with that.’’
It was in his interest to make apparent the report’s findings, Blackwell said, as it had cleared SAS ground troops.
‘‘I certainly didn’t cover up anything.’’ Both Thompson and Jones, who said they were unaware of the report’s findings, will again be interviewed by the inquiry this week.
Blackwell’s memory was questioned by lawyers.
He had initially told a Defence Force lawyer he had no memory of the report, but recent media reporting had rekindled his recall.
He specifically remembered receiving the report by email, and speaking to Mapp. But his records, including emails, calendars and other operational documents had been deleted since he left the military.
Why emails and records from others who held this position were available to the inquiry was an open question.
‘‘I’m as surprised as you to hear the emails do not exist . . . I would be delighted if they could be [found],’’ Blackwell said.