CANBERRA - The widow of an Australian soldier killed in Iraq has been invited to help draft the terms of reference for a military inquiry into how he died, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says.
Dr Nelson said he made the offer when he spoke to the unnamed soldier's widow yesterday.
"I've discussed this with the head of the army, General Peter Leahy, who agrees," Dr Nelson told ABC TV.
"We think it's appropriate that she be consulted (on the) terms of reference for the court of inquiry."
He said it was important the woman and her family felt comfortable with the terms of reference.
"There were, as I understand, two other soldiers in the room at the time," Dr Nelson said.
"They didn't see the firearm go off but ... there's every indication that it was nothing more than a tragic accident."
Dr Nelson said the soldier was surrounded by his mates and draped in an Australian flag when he died in hospital some hours after the shooting.
The soldier, a married father of two small children, was treated by fellow soldiers at the accident scene in the Australian security detachment barracks in Baghdad's green zone on Friday afternoon local time.
He was then rushed the short distance to the US Army combat surgical hospital where he died a few hours later.
"I should inform Australians there was no evidence there was anything other than the accidental firing of the weapon that he was handling," Dr Nelson said.
"He received a fatal head wound and died several hours later in the military hospital in the international zone in Baghdad.
"He was surrounded by his mates.
"They brought his beret to him and he was covered in the Australian flag when he died."
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