Peter Tinley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peter Tinley retired from the Australian military in 2006 after a distinguished 25-year career. He served in Afghanistan and Iraq and was one of the key strategists from the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) involved in the planning and leadership of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In late 2006, Tinley spoke out against the decision of the Howard Government for supporting the US and British initiative to invade Iraq because of purported evidence of the country's possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction. He also called for the immediate withdrawal of Australian troops.

According to a report,^[1] Tinley, "[a]s the lead tactical planner for Australia's special forces in the US in late 2002 ... was in a unique position to observe intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program and the coalition's military preparations in the lead-up to the war."

Tinley opined, "They never had enough troops to fully lock down the major centres and infrastructure or the borders," he said.

In Iraq in 2003, Mr Tinley served as deputy commander for the 550-strong joint special forces task group that took control of western Iraq. Part of his command was 1 SAS Squadron, which was awarded a Unit Citation for Gallantry, for its "sustained gallantry", contributing to a comprehensive success for coalition forces in Iraq.

He served 17 years with the elite SAS regiment, leaving the army as a major in 2005. In 2003 he was appointed a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "dynamic leadership and consistent professional excellence".^[2]

Following retirement from the SAS, Tinley has been known to conduct strategic planning and leadership workshops. Among other clients, he has worked with the West Coast Eagles Football Club coaching staff^[3].

In 2006, former federal opposition leader, Kim Beazley, approached Tinley to represent the Federal Division of Stirling for the Australian Labor Party in the upcoming Federal election.^[4] The sitting member Michael Keenan retained the seat for the Liberals with a slightly reduced majority.^[5]