Inspector General of Australian Defence Forces Report on Afghan War Crimes

[CBH99]

That genuinely sucks  :'(

The world can be a far more complicated place than we ever imagine. 



Sincerely, rest in peace. 

 

[dimsum]

Bumped with this article.

How the ‘good war’ went bad: elite soldiers from Australia, UK and US face a reckoning

As coalition troops prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan after 20 years, former soldiers, key officers and the public are asking what went wrong with some special forces

It's probably also the first (?) time that CANSOF were facing allegations as well.

Troops from Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Denmark also faced allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law, the laws of war.

How the ‘good war’ went bad: elite soldiers from Australia, UK and US face a reckoning

As coalition troops prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan after 20 years, former soldiers, key officers and the public are asking what went wrong with some special forces

www.theguardian.com

 

[Weinie]

Bumped with this article.



It's probably also the first (?) time that CANSOF were facing allegations as well.

How the ‘good war’ went bad: elite soldiers from Australia, UK and US face a reckoning

As coalition troops prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan after 20 years, former soldiers, key officers and the public are asking what went wrong with some special forces

www.theguardian.com

The only two references to Canada in this article that I could find were detainees and Capt Semrau. No new news here.

 

[dimsum]

That is...disturbing.

War crimes witness in hiding after blast at her NSW home

A former special operations intelligence officer and witness in the Brereton Inquiry is relocated by the Defence Force after a blast at her family home.

www.abc.net.au

Also, 13 SAS troops have been told there is insufficient evidence for their cases to be referred to investigators after being told last year to prove why they shouldn't be sacked.

Dutton apologises to cleared SAS troops

Defence Minister Peter Dutton says it is time to move on from war crimes allegations against Australian soldiers in Afghanistan if they have been cleared.

thewest.com.au

 

[dimsum]

Update:

The Chief of the Defence Force has paused any internal disciplinary measures for senior army officers who failed to prevent alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, as the ADF waits for an official external investigation to be completed — something that could take years.

General Angus Campbell's move last year followed an edict from Defence Minister Peter Dutton that the ADF wait for lengthy criminal investigations to conclude before commanders faced any internal military consequences for wrongdoing that occurred under their command.

According to Freedom of Information documents obtained by the Australian newspaper, a further 21 personnel who served in Afghanistan have been told they should "learn from their experiences".

The decision comes despite 17 lower-ranked soldiers being issued termination notices for "alleged failure to meet ADF expectations and values" following the landmark 2020 Brereton report.

Senior military officers yet to face consequences for alleged Afghanistan war crimes, documents reveal

Australia's Defence Force Chief has paused internal disciplinary measures for senior army officers who failed to prevent alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, pending the completion of an external investigation that could take years.

www.abc.net.au

 

[dimsum]

Another update:

According to three Defence sources with knowledge of the situation, Langford had for some months felt that his position had become untenable.
Langford was under review for a potential “administrative censure” over an alleged lack of oversight as the special forces commander, but sources confirmed that this was never finalised and did not lead to him being sacked. However, Langford has told close confidants that he was then left with the impression that he had to go.

The fallout has escalated tensions inside the Australian Defence Force, with some soldiers believing Langford was mistreated while the top brass has avoided any scrutiny.

‘A massive loss’: Senior officer who led special forces in Afghanistan felt his position was untenable

The senior officer was “voluntarily” discharged in recent weeks after falling out with the Chief of the Defence Force.

www.theage.com.au

 

[brihard]

Update: Australian police have reportedly arrested a former SAS trooper in connection with an unlawful killing in Afghanistan. He’s expected to be charged later today (it’s Monday morning / mid day over there). We’ll likely see more on this story by tomorrow morning our time.

Police arrest former SAS soldier shown in Four Corners video

Police arrest a decorated former SAS soldier who was shown in a Four Corners program shooting an Afghan man in a wheat field. He is expected to become the first Australian serviceman or veteran to be charged with a war crime under Australian law.

www.abc.net.au

 

[brihard]

Morning update: he has been charged with the War Crime of Murder, a domestic criminal offense under Australian law. I’m not (yet) familiar with their criminal law on this, but at first glance I think that, like us, they have their own criminal provisions that mirror internationally recognized war crimes. The charge relates to the shooting death of an Afghan male in a 2012 raid in Uruzgan. He has been held in custody with no bail application yet made. My amateur guess is he’ll be out on bail pretty quickly once his lawyer gets a plan together.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Bumped with a few more follow-up developments ...
"Ben Roberts-Smith has failed to prove he was defamed in articles alleging he committed war crimes, with a distinctive tattoo on his ribs central to his case ..."

Ben Roberts-Smith: Top Australian soldier loses war crimes defamation case

Ben Roberts-Smith had sued newspapers over allegations he killed unarmed prisoners in Afghanistan.

www.bbc.com

Australian decorated hero quits corporate job after Afghan war crime revelations

Rolling coverage of the international stories of interest to our readers

www.irishexaminer.com

Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (No 41) [2023] FCA 555 (Summary)

www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au

(Court decision also attached)

 

[brihard]

Bumped with a few more follow-up developments ...
"Ben Roberts-Smith has failed to prove he was defamed in articles alleging he committed war crimes, with a distinctive tattoo on his ribs central to his case ..."

Ben Roberts-Smith: Top Australian soldier loses war crimes defamation case

Ben Roberts-Smith had sued newspapers over allegations he killed unarmed prisoners in Afghanistan.

www.bbc.com

Australian decorated hero quits corporate job after Afghan war crime revelations

Rolling coverage of the international stories of interest to our readers

www.irishexaminer.com

Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (No 41) [2023] FCA 555 (Summary)

www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au

(Court decision also attached)

This was a civil trial, so it doesn’t establish criminal culpability, but- it’s still a court looking at and weighing claims and facts, and it went decidedly not in his favour. It certainly suggests the possibility that he may face charges.

I didn’t follow up on the other SAS member who was charged- he was released on bail, and it’s expected his trial is still quite a ways out. Australia doesn’t have the same legal constraints on length of time elapsed before trial that we do. I imagine there will be a lot of classified information that they need to try to manage as evidence.

 

[KevinB]

I find it appalling that regardless of the members conduct, that anyone suggest that a medal for bravery be stripped.
The fact that he may or may not have murdered Afghans, is a separate issue from his actions that resulted in the VC.

Convict or not, him based on the merits of the case, but that doesn’t change his actions in the face of the enemy.

 

[Weinie]

I find it appalling that regardless of the members conduct, that anyone suggest that a medal for bravery be stripped.
The fact that he may or may not have murdered Afghans, is a separate issue from his actions that resulted in the VC.

Convict or not, him based on the merits of the case, but that doesn’t change his actions in the face of the enemy.

King George V thoughts applies.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I find it appalling that regardless of the members conduct, that anyone suggest that a medal for bravery be stripped ...

More on the medal stuff from an AUS academic ...

... In the aftermath of the Brereton Report, Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell announced the Special Operations Task Group would be stripped of a Meritorious Unit Citation for conduct in Afghanistan. The announcement caused a media and political uproar, and then Prime Minister Scott Morrison reversed the decision.

It has since emerged that at least three senior officers, including Campbell, have attempted to return their own medals, awarded for distinguished command and leadership in action. In all three cases, the Coalition government denied this request.

Campbell has reportedly asked a group of former commanding officers to return their medals. In Senate Estimates, he stated such a move would represent a step towards accountability for the command failures in the Afghanistan operation.

The Labor government has appeared more willing for medals and awards to be handed back or stripped than its Coalition predecessor was.

The problems that Campbell has encountered in attempting to revoke honours, and in trying to hand his own back, highlight the fact that commendations have both military and political significance – which makes any decision to revoke honours particularly difficult ...

 

[dimsum]

Update:

Defence commanders stripped of medals after Afghanistan war crimes investigation ends

As many as nine current and former personnel have had their honours taken away by the Defence minister, over alleged war crimes that happened under their command in Afghanistan, while others still face the prospect of prosecution.

www.abc.net.au

 

[brihard]

Update:

Defence commanders stripped of medals after Afghanistan war crimes investigation ends

As many as nine current and former personnel have had their honours taken away by the Defence minister, over alleged war crimes that happened under their command in Afghanistan, while others still face the prospect of prosecution.

www.abc.net.au

This is taking astonishingly long to wrap up the criminal investigations.