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JONO GALUSZKA

Last updated15:53, May 1 2017

ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ

Investigative journalist and author Nicky Hager will speak about his book 'Hit and Run' in Palmerston North on Wednesday.

Investigative journalist Nicky Hager says he is still hearing from people in the military, months after publishing a book alleging SAS involvement in the death of Afghanistan civilians.

Hager is heading to Palmerston North on Wednesday to give two public talks about Hit and Run, a book he co-authored with Jon Stephenson.

The book details a raidthe SAS was involved in in Afghanistan in 2010, where it is alleged civilians were killed.The Defence Force has denied killing civilians.

MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ

Journalists Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson at the book launch for Hit and Run.

Hagersaid the focus of his talks would be on how the incident highlighted problems with how the military operated.

READ MORE: *What we know, and don't know, about the SAS raid allegations from Hit and Run * No basis for probe into Hager book allegations, says English * Afghan villagers engage NZ lawyers over 'Hit and Run' SAS raid * Hit and Run authors concede they got the location for a raid wrong in their book * Defence Force chief slams 'major inaccuracies' in SAS Afghanistan allegations * Can we trust claims by Hager and Stephenson about SAS raid?

"Jon [Stephenson] and I are still hearing from people in middle and lower [ranks] of the Defence Force who are glad we did the book and are giving more information."

The pair called for an inquiry into the incident, but Prime Minister Bill English has said there was no basis for one.

The Defence Force was also critical of the book.

Hager said he was not disappointed with how things had gone, as he expected the road to an inquiry would be long and hard.

"Jon [Stephenson] and I are obliged and morally committed to those people [in Afghanistan] to stay with this so it can get sorted out in the end."

But he wanted to reassure people he was not attacking the "military family", saying the book would never have happened if people inside the military had not told him what went on.

He was especially keen to get that point across in Palmerston North as it was a "military town", he said.

Hit andRun is the first book Hager has co-authored an experience he said was tough at times.

"Both of us would probably find it much easier working on our own."

But it had made sense to collaborate, with Hager doing work in New Zealand while Stephenson worked in Afghanistan, a place where Hager said he "wouldn't last five minutes".

Hager will speak at Massey University's Social Sciences Lecture Block room 6 on Wednesday at noon, and at the Palmerston North City Library at 7pm.

-Stuff

See the article here:
Nicky Hager not giving up on inquiry into SAS actions in Afghanistan - Stuff.co.nz