Investigators in New Zealand have concluded that the country’s military repeatedly misled government ministers and the public for years about civilian casualties in a special forces raid in Afghanistan 10 years ago.
Operation Burnham was carried out by New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) and allied forces in the Tirgiran Valley in Afghanistan from August 21 to 22, 2010.
An investigation was launched in 2018 after the publication of the book Hit and Run by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson, which said the operation resulted in civilian casualties.
Attorney General David Parker said Friday that while the troops’ actions on the ground were “professional and legal,” there were “significant deficiencies” in the way the NZDF handled the allegations despite there being evidence that suggests that up to five non-combatants died, including one girl
While there was no “organized institutional strategy” to cover up civilian victims, the NZDF made incorrect and misleading statements to the public, stating that the allegations had been investigated and found to be “unfounded” or “unfounded,” Parker said.
The NZDF said for years that reports of civilian casualties were without merit, but on Friday the head of the defense force, Air Marshal Kevin Short, said there were “organizational and administrative failures.”
“NZDF acknowledges and regrets these errors,” Short said in a statement.
Victims
Investigators said in the report that the girl, ages 8 to 10, likely died as a result of the operation.
At least seven men were killed, three of whom were identified as combatants, and there was evidence linking two others to groups of combatants, according to the report.
The investigation could not determine whether the other two people killed were fighters or civilians. At least six civilians were wounded.
He also discovered that the troops were operating with proper authorization, and only one of the dead was shot by a New Zealand soldier.
A senior official in Afghanistan showed “an inexcusable lack of attention and rigor in misrepresenting the findings,” the investigation found.
The NZDF also failed to adequately remedy their incorrect statements and advice, even after learning they were wrong, according to the report, adding that NZDF staff edited reports from Afghanistan that there may be civilian casualties.
The report also found that a fighter was tortured after being handed over to Afghan custody, but high-ranking leaders in New Zealand were not informed and no further action was taken.
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