The caskets of the three Diggers escorted during a memorial service. Source: Supplied
A SECRET internal defence report into the murders of three soldiers in Afghanistan by a Taliban "sleeper" has revealed it was incompetence that exposed the three Australian sons to danger - and ultimately cost them their lives.
Lance Corporal Stjepan "Rick'' Milosevic, 40, Sapper James "Marto'' Martin, 21, and Private Robert "Poatey'' Poate, 23 were murdered in cold blood at Patrol Base Wahab on August 29 last year as they played cards.
But the tragedy for the fallen mates - and their families - was that the army failed to provide adequate protection despite increased risks of insider attacks.
A damning internal - and heavily censored - report has revealed the men's commanders knew of increased "green on blue" attacks by Taliban operatives against coalition forces.
The United Nations led coalition - called International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) - ordered security be beefed up.
Lance Corporal Stjepan “Rick’’ Milosevic, 40. Source: News Limited
But the warnings of the spike in insider attacks were never passed to the 22-man platoon.
So instead of boosting personal security at the isolated base - the soldiers were allowed to change from combat gear into shorts and T-shirts just prior to being attacked.
Most of the dozen or so Diggers were engrossed in a game of poker while others watched movies on their laptops as Taliban operative - Sergeant Hekmatullah - quietly approached their makeshift recreation area.
It was 9.45pm and as the trained killer drew level with two Bushmaster vehicles, where the Aussies were gathered around two tables under a tarp just prior to turning in, he silently switched his weapon to automatic and squeezed the trigger.
Within seconds two bursts of automatic fire had sprayed the Diggers with 23 rounds.
Two died instantly, a third was dying and another two were wounded. In the chaos that followed, the killer had fled.
The report by an Army Colonel and completed in February this year - to be released Thursday - said the three Australian soldiers were not provided with "adequate force protection measures".
Sapper James “Marto’’ Martin, 21. Source: News Limited
Simply put - the platoon was too relaxed and unable to respond quickly to the deadly attack.
"I find that Soldier 3's (a Lieutenant's) decisions and actions in maintaining the force protection arrangements ... inadequately addressed the force protection needs for Team ... and potentially placed them at significant risk ...''' the heavily redacted (censored) report said."
Their state of readiness and therefore their ability to respond to fire or ... enemy action or insider attack was less than what would be expected ...''
The Diggers from Mentoring Team Bravo and three Bushmaster vehicles had only arrived at the patrol base in the Baluchi Valley about 23km from Tarin Kowt on the afternoon of August 28.
According to insiders, the platoon was only there because another from Mentoring Team Delta was unable to deploy after its Afghan Army element refused to go to Wahab because it was too dangerous.
It is understood that this information was not passed to the platoon commander and there is no mention of it in the 61-page inquiry officer's report.
There is also no mention in the report of the fact that Hekmatullah left the base to go to high ground and make a mobile phone call on the afternoon of the shooting - possibly to alert his Taliban comrades.
Private Robert “Poatey’’ Poate, 23, pictured at home with his cat. Source: News Limited
The report's key findings are;
* A high-level report boosting force protection was released on August 28 but not passed to troops at risk.
* Senior officers failed to adequately address the force protection needs at patrol base Wahab.
* The state of readiness and ability to respond to attack was "inadequate''.
* Senior officers knew that diggers would be unable to secure themselves away from Afghan troops at Wahab.
* No Australian intelligence existed about the risk from Hekmatullah.
The Taskforce Commander, a Lieutenant Colonel, and the Lieutenant in command of the platoon were both promoted months before the report was finalised.
The triple murder occurred just 13 days after a warning about increased "sleeper'' attacks from Taliban chief Mullah Omar and during a spike in so called "green on blue'' insider attacks by Afghan soldiers.
Bushmaster vehicles mark the harbour area set up by troops from Mentoring Team Bravo the evening before the three Diggers were murdered by a Taliban sleeper agent on August 29, 2012. Source: Supplied
During 2011, 35 coalition soldiers were killed by such attacks and in 2012 the number almost doubled to 60 deaths including 15 during the month of August when the three Australian soldiers were killed.
A total of seven Australians have been killed and 12 wounded by insider attacks.
An ANA report into the incident specifically finds that Sergeant Hekmatullah's shooting attack was a "planned terrorist attack.''
His entire family were members of the Taliban.
By contrast the Australian report was "unable to determine ... the causal reasons'' for the shooting."
"The vetting of recruits for Afghan National Security Forces continues to be a concern,'' the report says.
Taliban operative Sergeant Hekmatullah. Source: Supplied
It is understood that the families of the dead soldiers are furious and have written to the Queensland Coroner - as the soldiers were based in Brisbane - requesting an inquest into the deaths.
"The lack of intelligence gathering and dissemination appears to be a major issue but hardly attracted any analysis in the report. Evidence was not taken under oath or affirmation. The report is severely lacking in integrity and is highly selective,'' one source said.
"The Defence force investigating itself is totally inappropriate for an incident like this. They can bury their mistakes.''
The Office of the Queensland State Coroner said Coroner John Lock was reviewing a large volume of documents before making a decision whether to hold an inquest or not.
News Corp Australia understands that the competence of other officers has also been questioned by internal defence inquiries into deaths in Afghanistan, but those reports have been kept secret by the government and the top brass.
Defence last night said that the report would be released in "due course."
"Journalists and media outlets will have an opportunity to ask questions at this time," Defence said.
