Defence Force refusing to talk about Baghak – Goff

  • Breaking
  • 14/06/2015

Labour is demanding answers after the screening of an investigation into a battle in Afghanistan that left two Kiwi soldiers dead in 2012.

TV3's 3D Investigates last night aired new footage of the ambush, known as the Battlle of Baghak, in which Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone were killed and six others wounded.

It is raising fresh questions about the competency of our soldiers, and how they came to be caught in such a situation.

Labour's defence spokesman Phil Goff says for too long, the Defence Force has avoided discussing what happened.

"When they were before our select committee, they failed to front up and say precisely what happened. We offered for them to give evidence in secret – they would not even do that."

Mr Goff is concerned Kiwi soldiers currently in Iraq could be caught in a similar situation.

"It seems to me that unless we can bring this out into the open, then we don't learn the lessons that we need to learn."

A Court of Inquiry found the troops hadn't been trained to the required level.

"Why were our troops exposed to this situation, when even the Court of Inquiry said they weren't trained with the degree of realism and complexity that reflected the situation that they found themselves in?" asks Mr Goff.

An unnamed soldier involved in the attack is also disputing the army's official version of events.

3 News

source: newshub archive