https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/scott-morrisons-warning-ahead-of-austr...


Scott Morrison has warned the nation to prepare for allegations of “serious and possibly criminal conduct” by Australia’s defence force in Afghanistan that could see soldiers prosecuted for unlawful killings.

The Prime Minister revealed today a special investigator will be appointed to consider allegations of war crimes by Australia’s soldiers in the Middle East following the completion of a long-running defence investigation into the claims.

“This is going to be very difficult for Australians. It is going to be very difficult for our serving community and our veterans community,’’ Mr Morrison said.

Anyone with a functioning brain care to comment?

I want to know who the special investigator is for a start.

In one way it's good to see that Australia is finding its balls when it comes to this issue, at least, and is stating clearly that no outside body will be involved in any prosecution or perhaps investigation.

Stripping of medals is serious sh1t, and is applicable considering that the receipt of such is dependent on honourable service.  My issue with that is that when you expect people to be repeatedly committed to a bad situation that has no real end in sight other than "killing Taliban", you are part of the problem and not of the solution - and our governments respective and their agencies such as D^D/ADF need to be held accountable for their practices and doctrine.

I said before that our SAS, for instance, was heavily committed to operations that could be done by well-trained Infantry - and were not engaged in a genuine 'hearts and minds' operation that the Regiment is (purportedly) trained for.  This battlesphere, Afghanistan with all its complexities of tribal interests/relationships and money interest via poppy crops etc, does not really submit itself to such a campaign anyway, and so there was little to no real impetus to any genuine embedded 'hearts and minds' such as was nearly the case in the immediate invasion period, where SF were 'embedded' with indigenous groups to wage an assymetric war against a clearly defined 'Taliban'.

Assymetric is as assymetric does, sir... and part of the essence of it is that it is tailored to each individual situation.

I feel that the repeated commitment of often the same Special Forces soldiers (from whom I exclude Commandos as being highly trained light infantry - not for any reason of ego issues etc) over and over to the same endless battlesphere under the conditions imposed and with the clear knowledge that much of this was about the annual cycle of poppy crops that determine alliances and loyalties and even resistance - is a major part of the problem.

Government must take full responsibility for this, as well as for their penchant for sending Special Forces so as to make a splash and a 'statement' in the media about how 'tough' the government is on 'bad guys'.

I say there is major opportunity to find extenuating circumstances here - which does not take away personal responsibility, but only mitigates it.

I think the men have suffered enough.

When you unleash the dogs of war they will always go rogue.

That's what Apocalypse Now was all about.


What are they going to say about him?
Are they going to say he was a kind man?
He was a wise man? He had plans?
He had wisdom? Bullshit, man!
Am I going to be the one to set him straight?
Look at me - wrong.
YOU.

Bias_2012 wrote on Nov 12^th, 2020 at 2:09pm:


No. He was a captured Terrorist and they didn't have room for him on the chopper. You wouldn't just let a terrorist go free - he could find a gun and shoot up at your packed chopper. No Military in their right mind would take that risk. Nuts!

Jasin wrote on Nov 12^th, 2020 at 2:21pm:


He was a detainee with no weapon - there was no way of knowing he was a Terrorist, and therefore the proper response would be to release him after photographing him.  Without a clear weapon and clear conflict immediately prior - the trooper had no way of determining the true status of that man. 

A weapon unused is an everyday event and a fashion accessory for every Afghan, and phones are a dime a dozen and used for countless reasons.

You cannot make that call, JaSin.

As for 'no room on the chopper' I've commented before about running a war on a shoestring.

The troop carrying capacity of a Blackhawk is eleven - take out one for the C&C guy earning his medals at 5000 feet above the action - an SAS Patrol (a designated unit) is four men - so it is not unreasonable to assume that with two Patrols (eight - a not uncommon size for patrols/operations) on the ground, there were possibly two empty spaces.

Without knowing what backup/air support was in play, it is impossible to even approach the statement that 'there was no room on the chopper'.

Here's the original look-seer:-

The Honourable Justice Paul Le Gay Brereton, AM RFD - Deputy President

Justice BreretonJustice Brereton was appointed a Member of the Defence Force Discipline Tribunal on 5 August 2013, and Deputy President on 4 April 2019.

Justice Brereton was admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales in 1982, was called to the Bar in 1987, and appointed Senior Counsel in 1998. He was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2005, where he is assigned to the Equity Division and is the Corporations List Judge and the Adoptions List Judge. He is one of three joint authors of the current edition of Nygh's Conflict of Laws in Australia.

He enlisted in the Army Reserve in Sydney University Regiment in 1975, and was commissioned in the Royal Australian Infantry in 1979. He has served as Second-in-command Sydney University Regiment (1994-6), Commanding Officer 4th/3rd Battalion, the Royal New South Wales Regiment (1997-99), Chief of Staff 5th Brigade (2004-5), Assistant Chief of Staff Land Headquarters (2006-7), and Commander 5th Brigade (2008-10). He was promoted Major General In December 2010 on appointment to his current posting as Head, Cadet Reserve and Employer Support Division.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Military Division in 2010 for exceptional service as Chief of Staff 5th Brigade, Assistant Chief of Staff Land Headquarters and Commander 5th Brigade.