Journo access for sas book questioned by memorial boss

Shane Wright and Grant TaylorThe West Australian The head of the Australian War Memorial has questioned the access given to a journalist for an “unofficial” history of the SAS Regiment,

revealing his “exasperation” at getting documents for the nation’s official war history. Brendan Nelson said yesterday it made little sense for the Defence Department to help journalist

Chris Masters with his book on the war in Afghanistan while the same department was dragging its feet on the history being compiled by official historians. Masters has come under fire from

some within the SAS, including the nation’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, who has said the book was full of “half-truths” and risked reopening painful wounds for families of

dead Diggers. Concerns have also been raised by a separate Defence-approved independent inquiry into the regiment and its actions in Afghanistan. Masters yesterday defended his book, saying

he was a great admirer of the work of the SAS in Afghanistan. He said he could not understand the fuss over his work. But Dr Nelson, who is a friend of Masters, said the attitude of Defence

towards the book was in stark contrast to the way it was treating the war memorial and its official history of the East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. He said the Government was

sinking $12.7 million into the official histories which had to be completed by 2021 so they could then be vetted by Defence and other security agencies. But even with historians with top

secret security clearance, and a purpose-built facility at the war memorial, the Defence Department had still not sent through many documents so work could get under way. “I have found it

exasperating given Defence is aware it needs to co-operate so these histories can be written given the deadline,” he said. “It is strange that Defence has given access and assistance to Mr

Masters, including as I understand access to certain documents, for a book that will be for profit. “But at the same time, the official histories of East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq are

being held up because we cannot get access to important documents.” GET THE LATEST NEWS FROM THEWEST.COM.AU IN YOUR INBOX. Sign up for our emails