Fed: Inattention or faulty gun may have caused death: ADA

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2006
Fed: Inattention or faulty gun may have caused death: ADA

SYDNEY, April 22 AAP - A moment's inattention or a faulty weapon are two possible explanations
for the death of an Australian soldier in Iraq, a defence lobby group says.

The Australian Defence Association's executive director Neil James was speaking after
the death of an Australian soldier who accidentally discharged his rifle while maintaining
it while on duty in Iraq.

Mr James said the tragedy, overnight Australian time, highlighted the dangers military
personnel faced, even when not in direct combat.

He said it was not uncommon for soldiers to have to maintain their weapons while the
firearms were loaded.

Soldiers in a combat situation, especially if outside the Green Zone in Baghdad, would
not necessarily unload their weapons to clean them, he said.

There were two likely explanations for the soldier's weapon discharging.

"Most likely it's possibly a moment's inattention," he said.

"The other possibility is that it may have been a faulty weapon, but a board of inquiry
will be established to determine exactly what happened."

Mr James said the army was "very keen to make sure people know that this was a tragic accident".

"He would have been cleaning (his rifle) and to do that you've got to disassemble the
weapon, and to do that you have to carry out some safety precautions.

"Obviously something's gone wrong in this instance.

"The battlefield is an interesting workplace - it's inherently dangerous.

"You can try to make it as safe as you can but you can never guarantee 100 per cent
perfect levels of occupational health and safety."

The Defence Association extended sympathies to the soldier's family, Mr James said.

AAP dcr/arb/sd

KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST JAMES

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