Because they know it works. They know it won't be leading the news for long. Even though it is far more important than many "big" stories of today, it won't be leading the six…

like the International Criminal Court, yes

and if you want to see how pettily mendacious the Harold's editors are being, see the full response and note what's missing at Granny's site.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/91163021/no-basis-for-probe-into-hager-book-allegations-says-english

In terms of jurisdiction, I see the Metropolitan…

The photo shows spent weapon cartridges, and suggests they were found…

It has been suggested that the New Zealand Police conduct an investigation of the events that fateful August night. I disagree. The police have an mixed history of when it comes to reviewing the actions of uniformed staff and have a vested interest in…

The Army has an obligation to investigate allegations of war crimes.

The Police also have jurisdiction.

There may be a problem here (perhaps predetermination?) but I don't think it's a separation of powers issue. Investigating crimes is the job of the…

"He [Lt Gen Keating] will tell us whether he thinks there is a basis there with any new evidence or…

Wayne Mapp has posted on Pundit that he has been interviewed by Jon Stephenson. He does not say he was one of the sources for the book.
(He may well be, but he…

My impression is that the SAS got the right houses for the people they were looking for (the ones that had been shooting at NZ soldiers a few days earlier) but that the actual combatants…

It’s a relatively minor error in a sense but they offered this information as an indication of precision in their overall argument.

Perhaps someone just transposed a few numbers.

start em young
#surgeons

(the follow-up questions were poor, just listen to them again)

He quite clearly stated there were dead people. He said they were all insurgents, one killed by the…

The follow-up questions at Keating's press conference were the first sign the tactic was working (short-term, at least): the assembled journalists kind of forgot to say "So General, no dead people then?".

Except that they put Keating in a position where he basically lied, while proclaiming integrity. Not a clever thing to do to the boss.

Perhaps it's not just the look...

I just can't understand why, having had their arse handed to…

IANAL but that might put them in breach of the Public Records Act 2005

Evidence relied on by the NZ Defence Force to shelve a highly critical report of our decade-long deployment to Afghanistan was destroyed, it has said.

This means there…

I presume you’re referring to one of my earlier comments Rich — probably my reference to war crimes. According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court…

A war crime is an act that constitutes a serious violation of the law…

The Geneva Conventions were drafted and agreed as a lowest common denominator, covering desperate, 1941 type situations and attempting to provide something that would be accepted by states very far from being liberal democracies.

One issue here, which could be explored by…

You nailed it in one, Bob.

I had wondered about that aspect. Was it the obvious potential for civilian deaths?

That excuse wouldn't hold water for the second raid several days later, where they blew up the remaining parts of the civilian homes they'd…

Of course, what is defensible under the…

You may not have guessed it, but I have a low opinion of people who do this kind of thing, politicians and others.

Bill English, an empiricist if ever there was one, needs to familiarise…

Granted. But the lawyers representing the villagers, if unhappy with the outcome of an in-country Police investigation, I assume have remedy to thereafter refer the matter to a higher…

The illegal and unjustified Police raid on Nicky Hager's home following the publication of Dirty Politics would tend to suggest otherwise.

And given the most recent developments, I think an investigation – as opposed to an inquiry – is the only way to go. I assume the legal team acting for the villagers can file a complaint with…

Indeed. But given the barely credible spin being employed this morning, can you appreciate my scepticism that either this government or an SAS-dominated military can be trusted to conduct a genuinely independent investigation?

You may note that I'm suggesting an investigation is the most important thing.

As an example, take Judith Collins’ shameful role in Dirty Politics. The facts…

None I know of. But I haven't looked very far. I suspect none of the war crimes investigations carried out by MPs in other countries included allegations against a former Chief of…

Well, the other possible organisation in New Zealand that I…

The police prosecution service's consistent abdication of action on many political matters in recent decades seems highly material. Wouldn't trust them to put out a fire in a rubbish bin, let alone conduct an investigation into something authority-challenging like…

I couldn't find authority on our military police being subject to any statute of limitations. Limitation Act…

Hager may be 'wrong headed' Graeme, but his whole legal team et.al? The book has already broken the silence on the deaths in Afghanistan and as you suggest good legal advice, in a criminal proceeding will probably shut the whole situation down for good. An inquiry may be a…

An investigation would take time and money with possibly no satisfactory outcome.

They would presumably be transported to Afghanistan by the NZDF, housed and fed by the NZDF, given security at the scene by the NZDF, etc. (or…

Much of the investigation would of course occur in New Zealand. Documents held by the NZDF will be held here, and the intelligence officers and SAS soldiers you would need to…

Several reasons:
1. This is how it’s supposed to work. Countries that have signed up to war crimes treaties with the intention of meeting…

ETA: I mean the local bobbies investigating war crimes committed abroad by their armed forces. It sounds hopelessly impractical.