Top brass angry over soldier's email leak

A leaked email from a soldier in Afghanistan who criticised the Army for its handling of an engagement that cost the life of a digger will be used as part of a continuing investigation, Defence Minister Stephen Smith says.

Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney was killed when Australian and Afghan Army troops were engaged by Taliban insurgents in a protracted firefight near Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province on August 24.

In a scathing email published yesterday, a soldier who fought alongside Lance Corporal MacKinney strongly criticised the Australian Defence Force for a lack of air and artillery support during the battle.

The email to a friend claimed that it was ''a miracle'' that more Australians didn't die in the battle.

''The army has let us down, mate, and I am f------ disgusted,'' the author wrote.

He also accused Australian military intelligence as being woefully inadequate and claimed the Army's leadership was ''too scared'' of inflicting ''collateral damage''.

The publication of the email, which has been in the hands of senior Defence officials including Defence Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston for several weeks, was a rare breakdown of the Defence Force's normally tight control of information relating to operations in Afghanistan.

Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant-General Mark Evans moved quickly yesterday to attack media reporting based on the email.

''The media reporting has been wrong and ill-informed and quite frankly not helpful. It has caused some consternation within the unit and has undermined the excellent work being done at the tactical level by our troops,'' he said.

''It's not helpful when armchair generals talk about what should be done. You go there and do the job.''

General Evans said the soldier's emailed account was ''one perception'' of what happened.


Mr Smith says the issues raised in the email will be considered as Defence investigates the matter. For more, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/top-brass-angry-over-sol...

Good enough to patriotically serve theirs and your country, but not worthy of discussing?

I didn't expect quite a few of you to engage in this topic, or the topic of refugees I created either.

Why did you remove this from the political forum Free diver?

Is it too politically incorrect for your tastes?

Stick it, I wont waste my time.

You want discussion, but wont permit the topics you deem controversial.

freediver wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2010 at 11:12pm:


Why not Freediver?

Why don't they ask the USAnglo-Saxon Empire for a payrise for their Mercenary efforts?
I'm sure they can buy some equipment from their Tax-Free invasion on behalf of the USAnglo-Saxon Empire.

I was just talking to a co-worker who was shot in the leg about 5 years ago in downtown Campbelltown by two guys who just felt like it.
Why don't they let Australian Military patrol Australia itself in search of dickheads with guns (because we all know these idiots would drop the guns quicksmart if a soldier said "Act of War buddy!") - oh yes, because the understaffed/overworked Police prevent them from doing so.
How silly of me.
Why would anyone feel threatened by a Cop who says "stop" first and then just gives em a few years imprisonment for manslaughter to murder ...unlike a Soldier who would just shoot em dead.

Maybe its safer fighting foreigners in the own countries for other nations of similar race, other than the UN.

Nahh sorry FreeDiver. I mean't that all those Crims and thugs going around with guns playing big time gansta and all that.
My Co-worker was shot by two thugs for no reason and got away with it - just to make a quick example.
By having the Australian Military more involved besides sitting around in Holsworthy and shelling rabbits, we might see a vast drop in Gun violence.
I personally don't think Police should ever have Guns and I think Police, Western Police, PROTECT people who do gun violence - from the Military.
I don't think Police have ever succeeded against Gun violence.
The fact that they have to become almost Military with their SWAT units just shows how much of a 'denial' it all is.
When I worked Psyche Wards etc, I would have some rough-nuts threaten to "I'll shoot ya ass" in their Hommie gangsta talk.
I would always respond "Well I hope you are a better shot than my mate who is a Soldier, because I can guarrantee you that he won't be upholding the Justice System when he sees you with a gun in the name of an Act of War."
I was always astonished at how 'behaved' these guys became once they realised I wasn't using the Law as protection and justification.

Instead of doing shameful mercenary missions for America (over the United Nations ), I'm sure Farmers can hire our Soldiers for some more constructive work in regards to vermin, etc ...allowing the Farmers to concentrate their efforts upon more constructive efforts.