Australian troops accused of war crimes

[Eldorado]

Australian special forces were allegedly involved in the murder of 39 Afghan civilians, in some cases executing prisoners to “blood” junior soldiers before inventing cover stories and planting weapons on corpses, a major report has found.

For more than four years, the Maj Gen Justice Paul Brereton has investigated allegations that a small group within the elite Special Air Services and commandos regiments killed and brutalised Afghan civilians, in some cases allegedly slitting throats, gloating about their actions, keeping kill counts, and planting phones and weapons on corpses to justify their actions.

Brereton describes the special forces’ actions as “disgraceful and a profound betrayal” of the Australian Defence Force.

Full story at the Guardian: Link

[Aroundthecorner]

I live not far from the WA headquarters for the SASR, a secretive unit which they pride themselves on. This whole sad story is down to a few bad eggs competing with other special force units in games called blooding, a disgusting misuse of power and I hope they all get whats owing. War and the battle field are one thing but to drop into mental evil nutbag mode is sickening, especially when its for points over a similar unit.

[HollyDolly]

I agree Seanjo. By the way, love your avatar.My cat does that too the whole stick out the tongue thing.

[khol]

The inquiry was triggered by work by military sociologist Samantha Crompvoets, who was tasked with examining special forces culture and began to hear disturbing allegations of war crimes.

Speaking up was the right thing to do. And thankfully taken seriously. This is a human trait thats happened countless times throughout our history and in many countries. Whats happening within the group psyche of these people that allow them to kill so mercilessly and justify it amongst themselves? Nanjing massacre is another example and countless others..

[Eldorado]

Nine Australian servicemen have taken their own lives over the last three weeks, the Daily Mail newspaper reported on Monday, amid the scandal caused by the recent report on extrajudicial killings by Australia's elite troops in Afghanistan.

Sputnik (Moscow)

UK Daily Mail

 

[+Hammerclaw]

 As General William Tecumseh Sherman stated in his letter to the civic leaders of Atlanta before he burned it to the ground in 1864: “You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.

Edited November 24, 2020 by Hammerclaw

[openozy]

What do people expect if they get a group of easily led, testosterone fueled young blokes and teach them to kill people. We shouldn't be over there to start with.

[+Hammerclaw]

To me, there's nothing more disgusting and reprehensible than people who go out of their way to ferret out reasons to condemn the young men and women they ask and expect to kill for them and their government. The moral compass of civilian life doesn't always work on the battlefield. 

[Golden Duck]

13 hours ago, openozy said:

What do people expect if they get a group of easily led, testosterone fueled young blokes and teach them to kill people. We shouldn't be over there to start with.

It IS the SAS - they take the best to handle the worst.  However, there is an air of inevitability about things like this.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

On 11/25/2020 at 9:01 AM, Hammerclaw said:

To me, there's nothing more disgusting and reprehensible than people who go out of their way to ferret out reasons to condemn the young men and women they ask and expect to kill for them and their government. The moral compass of civilian life doesn't always work on the battlefield. 

To me there’s nothing worse than people who excuse war crimes except perhaps those who cover them up.

Ferret out a reason? FÜCKING WAR CRIMES isn’t exactly an obscure reason. 

[+Hammerclaw]

6 hours ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

To me there’s nothing worse than people who excuse war crimes except perhaps those who cover them up.

Ferret out a reason? FÜCKING WAR CRIMES isn’t exactly an obscure reason. 

Oh you pious armchair moralist. WAR IS A ****ING CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. Bombing population centers is a crime against humanity. War is cruelty and we train and condition young men and women to disregard their morals instilled from birth and wantonly kill their fellow man. War isn't a ****ing movie where pious moralists like you sit in judgment of those they sent in harm's way. Civilians like you want to disavow personal responsibility for their own safety and hide behind these "monsters" of their own creation from the perils of the real world outside their cozy middleclass cocoons. Well, guess what? They're just as flawed and imperfect as anyone else and it's not their job to be your personal, perfect heroes. Go judge yourself.

Edited November 27, 2020 by Hammerclaw

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

3 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

Oh you pious armchair moralist. WAR IS A ****ING CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. Bombing population centers is a crime against humanity. War is cruelty and we train and condition young men and women to disregard their morals instilled from birth and wantonly kill their fellow man. War isn't a ****ing movie where pious moralists like you sit in judgment of those they sent in harm's way. Civilians like you want to disavow personal responsibility for their own safety and hide behind these "monsters" of their own creation from the perils of the real world outside their cozy middleclass cocoons. Well, guess what? They're just as flawed and imperfect as anyone else and it's not their job to be your personal, perfect heroes. Go judge yourself

ohh I have. And I have found myself guilty of arrogance, pride, gluttony, laziness and just the occasional bout of melancholy.

Oddly enough, not murder though.  So stuff your righteous indignation up the **** of your “Yay we stole a country” turkey and roast it. I can hold people to account for violating their own code of conduct until the cows come home. You can feel free to excuse your trained murderers all day, I’ll hold mine to account thank you very much. 
 

And what “personal safety” of mine are they protecting exactly when they shoot prisoners? Last time **** like that went down in wartime we hung the b******* responsible in Nuremberg. 

[+Hammerclaw]

Yeah the people who fire bombed Hamburg and Dresden holding others accountable for mass murder was pretty ironic. Some of the advance units on D-Day were ordered not to take prisoners.Code of Conduct, indeed. I have not much respect for gutless civilians sitting in judgment over people who put their lives on the line for their country. As for what you said about my country-- go to hell.

Edited November 27, 2020 by Hammerclaw

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

8 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

Yeah the people who fire bombed Hamburg and Dresden holding others accountable for mass murder was pretty ironic. Some of the advance units on D-Day were ordered not to take prisoners.Code of Conduct, indeed. I have not much respect for gutless civilians sitting in judgment over people who put their lives on the line for their country. As for what you said about my country-- go to hell.

Learn some history - you stole your country in exactly the same we we did ours. 
Plague blankets, concentration camps... sorry “reservations”, mass treaty violations... the red on our flags is blood. 
 

If not us “gutless civilians” who the **** will keep them in account? Their squad mates who were complicit? Their senior officers who covered it up? People like you who excuse it? 
To quote someone not a million mile away from this conversation “go to hell”.

[Eldorado]

The International Criminal Court says it will not take action against the UK, despite finding evidence British troops committed war crimes in Iraq.

A 180-page report says hundreds of Iraqi detainees were abused by British soldiers between 2003 and 2009.

BBC report