The Secret Army
I know I've been away, but it seems remarkable to me how quickly this whole row over the publication of that photograph of SAS member Willie Apiata has turned septic for the military.
Newspapers were asked to hang their heads in shame following the picture of two SAS soldiers marching along a Kabul street in full camo gear, weapons everywhere, apparently because they had endangered the soldiers' lives by revealing their whereabouts.
It was then disclosed that one of the pair was Corporal Willie Apiata VC, one of the most highly decorated and famous soldiers in service anywhere in the world.
The papers took a fair hammering from some of their readers, too, accusing them of blatantly exposing the SAS to risk for commercial gain.
Now, even at this point I thought the criticism a little harsh. Everyone already knew that the SAS was in Kabul. I'm pretty sure the Taliban didn't need to read The Press or the Dominion Post to know that either. I'm sure they're already well acquainted.
Also, our media seems to operate under some of the strictest censorship in the Western world when it comes to the operations of the military, and the SAS in particular. It was months before we were even told the Labour government had sent them to Afganistan back in 2003.
There has been a cloak of secrecy surrounding their operations, justified by the potential risk to their safety if they are exposed. SAS always seemed to me to be more about the Secret Army than the Special Air Service.
There are some cases where clearly this is necessary, and no responsible media outlet is going to publish details that put service people at risk, or their military objectives either. But there has to be a line drawn somewhere. The public is entitled to know what is being done and who is being shot at in its name.
Prime Minister John Key appears to have been uneasy about this for some time, judging by his comments at yesterday's post-Cabinet press conference. He took the highly unusual step of bringing along Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae to brief us all on what the SAS had been up to.
It was all a bit surreal, actually, what with Power Point presentations and whiteboards and the like. I half-expected someone to say "Right men, at ease!''
Probably Mateparae thought it strange too. I remember Willie Apiata saying he'd rather face the Taliban than the Kiwi media and I'd say Mateparae probably feels the same. But he's been told to hold regular press conferences about the activities of the SAS, when he's able to do so without compromising safety.
Given that was always the caveat for the release of information anyway, that's pretty much an admission that the public hasn't been properly informed about the activities of the SAS to date.
A case in point was the fact that, actually, we now know that at least some SAS soldiers were already in Afghanistan when Key made the announcement last August that a new deployment was to be made.
They were there providing close protection to police chief Howard Broad, but the public was never told of that deployment and Key indicated yesterday he wasn't aware of it either.
What's worse, though, is that after all the finger-pointing at the media over the publication of the picture of free Willie, it now appears that he's been - if not disciplined - at least given a ticking-off for taking his helmet and sunglasses off shortly before he was snapped.
So it's gone from being the media's fault for printing the picture to Apiata's fault for letting his guard down.
I also thought it was bizarre that it was OK for the military to post pictures of Apiata in uniform in Kabul on its website, but not for us to do so. Double standard, it seems to me.
Key was right to move quickly to shut down this row by getting the military's cooperation, and for backing him up on his earlier claim that the SAS hadn't had much to do with the latest firefight in Kabul on January 18.
It remains to be seen whether anything meaningful has actually changed, however. The SAS has a long tradition of operating in the shadows and they're not likely to come out into the daylight just because John Key says so.
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So Apiata got a ticking off for not wearing his helmet huh? If the media hadn't been just plain dumb about publishing the photo, Apiata wouldn't have got a ticking off... easy really.
Yes, Colin, Key played a blinder, not a foot wrong. He's a total legend, maybe the greatest political leader this country has ever seen, since forever. Almost a living god. You are right on the money.
Storm in a teacup.. Let our forces do what they must. I'm sure our tactical commanders are sending them where they are needed. I say privacy or knowledge for our forces anyday.
So what are you saying Colin? We shouldn't be so hard on the media? That the media don't like being in the firing line (figuratively, not literally)? That the media don't like double standards being applied to them?
But doesn't the media "be hard" on some people? Don't they put people "in the firing line"? Don't they employ double standards in their reporting? Don't they pick a "slant" that they will use when reporting something?
I would just say that the media got a taste of their own medicine.
Double standards all round Colin
The NZ public were pleased and proud, rightly so, that a NZ'r was awarded the only VC given in the last 50yrs (or something like that). But in the same breath after praising him they want NZ soldiers out of Afghanistan/Iraq as its' 'not our war'. They seem to forget if we weren't over there they would not have the VC award to be proud of!
Not unlike the tree huggers dilemma of not wanting to kill off the possum problem in NZ as they are wee furry animals and have a right to exist on the planet etc etc, but they are destroying more trees/forrests than NZ can actually cut down...dillemma...dilemma.
As Willie has been told to be more careful in the future about getting his photo in the paper I can imagine that he will just shoot the buggers next time he sees a journo with a camera. Even the French ones running around with white flags.
Also, Jennifer #3, it is good to note that you have finally seen the light. Although "living god" is a tad over the top. So far.
Jennifer (3)
I have been away from the blogs for a while . What a surprise !!!!! Even I could not have forseen that you would finally see the light. Sounds like a definite Damascus story. Welcome aboard . Don't know about a living God . Still,I suppose it's better than being a dead one. Happy New Year.
@Eddie - good job linking 2 things that have nothing to do with each other in this post. Well done sir.
As for this whole discussion - whether it be the media, politicians or us readers - we are a bunch of small minded fools sometimes in this country that's for sure. What is true though is that I, and many others, would be far more annoyed if we had a world class SAS that sat at home - that would be far more a waste of money and a better story for sure.
Lets just drop the Army, Navy and Airforce and just make one big rescue squad along with our SAS - something we spend more time being involved with than wars. We'll have the best of both worlds - good at helping out but if you cross us - we'll kill you like some sort of futuristic ninjas.
I'm confused by the whole state of affairs. According to the various versions of the event posted online, first the Auckland Herald publishes the photo of the two soldiers, but says it didn't name them. Then John Key confirms that the rambo lookalike is Willie Apiata (in reply to a question from someone else in the media), thus naming him. Then every media outlet publishes the photo and notes that John Key has confirmed it's him. The idiots in the army who chose to make such a big public hullaballoo about awarding WA the first "VC for New Zealand" (not "the VC"), and Mr Key who named him, seem to have caused the problem. Not WA. But in keeping with the tradition of kicking the blame as far down the line as one can when something goes wrong, the Defence Force hierarchy has shown itself for what it is. Just another stuffed shirt bureauocracy.
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Exposing the NZ SAS is a military masterstroke as it sends shivers of fear down the enemy spine. After all we are the in the world at SASing, I was told on the radio! Better than the marines! Better than them British crack squads. Better than those Iraely anti-terrorist guys. Won't be long now and Osama will come out hands up. Thanks to our SAS! On that note, can some tell me why we even need a military? I 'm sure if someone wants to invade us, they'll land at will on our AKL Strategic Asset Runway and do so at leisure. Unless our one rusty tank can hold off 35800 planes.