Australia: Army accused of covering up killing

CANBERRA - The Australian Army may have been involved in covering up the killing and injuring of civilians mistaken for Taleban fighters in Afghanistan, an investigation into an incident three years ago has claimed.

The report, published in the Age yesterday, also alleged that SAS troops had ignored the suffering of the wounded, helping to turn Afghanis against their pro-Western Government.

The allegations come as the Army prepares a new manual that emphasises the need for clear instruction in, and practice of, high morals and ethics in combat zones.

Pointing to US excesses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the manual warns that failure to abide by the highest standards can turn crucial support against armies in combat.

The Age report, based on previously undisclosed Defence Department information and interviews in Afghanistan, said a group of soldiers had fired on a car carrying the wife, children and relatives of Afghani legislator Haji Abdul Khaliq.

The incident, near Tarin Kowt in 2006, killed Khaliq's brother-in-law, blinded his wife, and injured his daughter so severely that her leg was later amputated.

Khaliq's son, and a niece and nephew, escaped unhurt.

Defence Chief Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston told a Senate inquiry in 2007 that no substance had been found to the allegation that Australian troops had been involved.

But the Age said information uncovered in Afghanistan showed an SAS patrol was nearby at the time, that the patrol reported a "contact" - meaning they fired their weapons - in the area where the Khaliq car was hit, and the area in which the SAS patrol reported the enemy was located was the same area in which the family was travelling.

The report said that at the time of the shooting the SAS patrol believed taxis were carrying Taleban insurgents to combat in the area, and a defence source told the newspaper it was possible the Australians fired on the car after a similar vehicle had previously been seen to drop off Taleban.

Khaliq told the Age there was no doubt Australians had shot his family.

"We asked the (local) governor and police chief who made the investigation," he said.

"He said that they were Australians. They did not give any sign to stop.

"And my car's windows were not dark. Inside the car was visible.

"They didn't even give (the injured) a bottle of water and they didn't even take them to hospital."