We are horrified to learn of the newly announced cooperation deal between New Zealand and Australian militaries focusing on Special Forces units. The Australian Special Forces are currently under investigation for war crimes in Afghanistan. The NZDF has hardly dealt with the fallout from its own crimes in Operation Burnham. These units should be disbanded, not strengthened,” said Auckland Peace Action spokesperson Eliana Darroch.

“A 2020 report by an Australian court found “credible information” to implicate 25 current or former Australian Defence Force personnel in the alleged unlawful killing of 39 people in Afghanistan. Last month, former Australian SAS trooper Oliver Jordan Schulz was arrested and charged with the war crime of murder, over the alleged shooting of an unarmed Afghan civilian, captured on camera.”

“War crimes by the Australian SAS are a live issue right now. The NZDF is about to get an Inspector-General of Defence to try to keep the military accountable after its cover-up of the murder of civilians in Operation Burnham. There is no public confidence in the operation of this unit. The military remains largely unrepentant, unresponsive to media transparency and dismissive of democratic process.”

“Minister of Defence Andrew Little needs to dismantle the SAS, not reward it with more opportunities to train and deploy to foreign wars.”

“The Hipkins Labour Government is quickly abandoning New Zealand’s independent foreign policy and signing up to be part of US-led wars. This deal is bad for peace and security.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/19/key-findings-of-the-brereton-report-into-allegations-of-australian-war-crimes-in-afghanistan 
 

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