Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles has stripped a number of high-ranking military officers of their decorations following a report on war crimes in Afghanistan. Soldiers under the command of the officers are said to have unlawfully killed people as part of the international military operation in the Hindu Kush. This emerged from a report published in 2020 (“Brereton Report”), which investigated the conduct of an Australian special unit in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.
The government announced that both active and former members of the armed forces would have their medals revoked. The exact number of these medals remained unclear, but fewer than ten officers were affected.
Former commander-in-chief Angus Campbell, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for his services, was not among the military personnel affected, it was said. When the report was published, Campbell spoke of a “shameful record” of a “self-centered warrior culture”. Campbell apologized to the Afghan people “for any misconduct by Australian soldiers.”
What does the report say?
The report made serious allegations against 25 members of the SAS special forces unit. They are said to have “unlawfully” killed at least 39 prisoners or civilians. The report found “toxic competitiveness” within the unit. This led to some soldiers taking shortcuts and ignoring rules. None of the killings occurred in the heat of battle. “This will always remain a national disgrace,” Marles said in parliament.
Last year, a former soldier was arrested for the first time for war crimes committed during his service in the Hindu Kush. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment.
Australia had been involved in the international military operation in Afghanistan for many years. After the withdrawal of foreign troops, the Islamist Taliban have been in power there again since the summer of 2020.
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