A group of Australian military officials who led commands in Afghanistan have been stripped of their service medals over alleged war crimes.
It follows the 2020 Brereton Inquiry, which found evidence of alleged war crimes within Australia’s Special Forces in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.
The inquiry identified the unlawful killing of 39 people by or involving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members.
It recommended some ADF commanders be stripped of their medals.
Context
In 2001, Australia agreed to send troops to Afghanistan as part of a U.S-led effort against “international terrorism” in the wake of 9/11.
Australian defence personnel were stationed in Afghanistan until 2021.
In 2016, an inquiry was set up to investigate alleged war crimes involving Australian defence personnel in Afghanistan.
It was chaired by Major General Paul Brereton, and became known as the ‘Brereton Inquiry’.
Brereton findings
The Brereton Inquiry handed down its findings in 2020. It concluded that it was “credible” that dozens of war crimes had been committed by members of the ‘Special Forces’ unit.
The inquiry identified 25 incidents in which a total of 39 people – civilians or disarmed combatants, like prisoners –had been killed.
A total of 25 Australian personnel were implicated, including veteran Ben Roberts-Smith. Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigations into alleged war crimes by Robert-Smith and others are continuing.
Brereton recommended a review of some honours and awards given to ADF members who served in Afghanistan
For example, Roberts-Smith received the Victoria Cross, Australia’s highest military honour for acts of bravery.
Last year, a defamation trial brought by Roberts-Smith was dismissed in the Federal Court, when a judge ruled that alleged war crimes by the veteran were substantially true.
Roberts-Smith denies all wrongdoing.
Government decision
Defence Minister Richard Marles has confirmed an undisclosed number of “relevant commanders” will have their military honours revoked.
He condemned a “sub-culture of elitism and deviation from acceptable standards” by military leaders in Afghanistan.
Marles acknowledged that “bar the actions of a few,” more than 26,000 Australians served in Afghanistan “with professionalism, honour and integrity… We are proud of them.”
Opposition
Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie said he supports the Government’s actions.
Hastie, a former special forces commander, said in Parliament: “Our soldiers must tell the truth, and those in leadership must seek it out. If both our soldiers and our leaders had done so, we might not be in this place today.”
He called the Brereton Inquiry “painful” but “necessary,” adding, “We believe in accountability and making things right when we uncover wrongdoing.”
SAS Association
The SAS (Special Air Service) is a unit of Australia’s special forces.
The Australian SAS Association provides support to SAS veterans. It criticised the decision to revoke some military awards.
National Chairman, Martin Hamilton, accused the Government of betraying the “sacrifice” of those sent “to fight and die in our country’s name.”
The Association suggested some younger officers were being blamed for alleged war crimes they were not directly involved in.
Jacqui Lambie
Former ADF corporal, Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie, has raised concerns about the mental health of veterans who she says are being “thrown under the bus”.
Lambie told SBS ground troops are still being blamed for alleged war crimes while some senior commanders haven’t been held to account.
“[Soldiers] are watching their mates being thrown under that bus, and none of those commanding officers going to jail.”
