Admiral Chris Barrie was Chief of the Defence Force from 4 July 1998 to 3 July 2002. He was primarily responsible for the command of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) at the commencement of the conflict in Afghanistan. Admiral Barrie was a key player in designing Australia’s detention policy in Afghanistan.
People
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Chris Barrie -
Peter CosgroveGeneral Peter Cosgrove served in the Australian Army from 1965 to 2005. From 3 July 2002 to 3 July 2005, he was Chief of the Australian Defence Force. During this time, he was primarily responsible for the command of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was the principal military adviser to the then Minister for Defence, Robert Hill.
In 2001 he was awarded Australian of the Year, following his role leading an international peacekeeping force to East Timor (Timor-Leste) in 1999. He currently serves on a number of company boards and is Chancellor of the Australian Catholic University.
Story 1 | Story 2 | Story 3 | Story 4 | Story 5 | Documents relating to Peter Cosgrove
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Robert HillRobert Hill was a Senator in the Australian Parliament from 1986 to 2006. He was the Australian Minister for Defence in the Howard Government from 2001 to 2006. During this time, he oversaw Australia’s involvement in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In March 2006, Mr Hill resigned from the Ministry and Australian Senate and was appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations for Australia. He is currently a Director of Low Carbon Australia, Chancellor of the University of Adelaide and an Adjunct Professor at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.
Story 1 | Story 2 | Story 3 | Story 4 | Story 5 | Documents relating to Robert Hill
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Tanik MahmudTanik Mahmud was born in Baghdad in 1960. Australian Special Forces captured him in Western Iraq on 11 April 2003, together with 65 other men. The Australian Special Forces transferred him to a UK Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter in the early hours of 12 April 2003 in Iraq. His death was the subject of a UK military inquiry as it has been alleged that he was beaten to death.
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Maurie McNarnMajor General Maurie McNarn was the Australian National Commander-Middle East Area of Operations for the Iraq conflict and the War on Terrorism. He was stationed at a base in the United Arab Emirates. On 23 March 2003, on behalf of Australia, he signed a Trilateral Arrangement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, for the transfer of prisoners of war and civilian detainees between them.
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George O’KaneGeorge O’Kane is an Australian military lawyer, who held the rank of Major in 2003-2004. From 30 July 2003 to 10 February 2004, Major O’Kane was embedded in the Headquarters CJTF-7 (Combined Joint Task Force 7) in the office of the Staff Judge Advocate within Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq.
Major O’Kane was involved in the US hiding detainees from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. He also knew about a particular detainee, Detainee Triple X, who was held in secret detention.
In August 2003, Major O’Kane advised a unit at Abu Ghraib on proposed interrogation techniques to be used on a high value detainee and concluded that the techniques were ‘open to abuse’ and only ‘substantially complied’ with the Geneva Conventions.
In October 2003, Major O’Kane was responsible for investigating and responding to ICRC allegations of abuse and ill treatment in Abu Ghraib prison. Major O’Kane drafted the response to the ICRC in December 2003 on behalf of US Brigadier General Karpinski.
Story 3 | Story 4 | Story 5 | Documents relating to George O’Kane.
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Michael (Mike) PezzulloMike Pezzullo worked at the Department of Defence from 1987 to1992 and from 2002 to 2009. In March 2004 he was appointed Head Infrastructure, Department of Defence. On 2 June 2004, he was appointed head of the Iraq Detainee Fact-Finding Team (IDFFT). In July 2004, he was transferred into the newly formed role of Chief Of Staff Australian Defence Headquarters and Head of Coordination and Public Affairs Division.
In this role as head of the IDFFT, Mr Pezzullo interviewed a number of Australian Defence Force personnel about their role in Iraq and their knowledge of abuses at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere. His report outlined the development of Australia’s detention policy in Afghanistan and Iraq, detailed the role of Major George O’Kane and his involvement in detention operations in Iraq. Mr Pezzullo is currently Chief Operating Officer of Australian Customs and Border Protection.
Story 1 | Story 3 | Story 4 | Story 5 | Documents relating to Mike Pezzullo
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Hiwa Abdul Rahman Rashul (Detainee Triple X)Hiwa Abdul Rahman Rashul was reported to be a suspected terrorist and high-ranking member of Ansar al-Islam. Mr Rashul was captured in Iraq by Kurdish soldiers in June or July 2003 and transferred to CIA custody. He was detained in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, approved an order that Mr Rashul be kept hidden and not registered with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The people detaining Mr Rashul did not know his real name so he was referred to as Detainee Triple X. Australian military lawyer, George O’Kane was aware of the order regarding Mr Rashul’s secret detention.
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Richard (Ric) SmithRic Smith was Secretary for the Department of Defence from November 2002 to December 2006. Together with the then Chief of the Defence Force (General Cosgrove), Mr Smith was responsible for managing the Defence organisation. He reported to the Minister for Defence, Robert Hill.
Story 1 | Story 2 | Story 3 | Story 4 | Story 5 | Documents relating to Ric Smith