Australian Soldiers Concealed War Crimes: Now They Face the Consequences

A four-year–long report on the Australian Special Forces stationed in Afghanistan concludes that some of these soldiers stationed in this unit unlawfully murdered 39 Afghans civilians outside the heat of the battlefield from 2009 to 2013. Australia’s Military Chief, Angus Campbell, publicly expressed his deepest apologies to the Afghan people on November 18, 2020, and started to atone for the soldiers’ wrongdoings. 

This report came forth through a four-year examination by the Inspector General of the Australian Defense Force, James Gaynor. This was the first time that a country allied with the United States has, so publicly, and at such an extensive length, put their troops in the limelight for misconduct.  

The report stated that the cause of these unlawful murders could be traced back to the commanders who would order junior soldiers to kill Afghan prisoners so that they could record their first ‘kill’ in a ritual called “blooding.” They would find a way to cover up the incidents by making their victims look like legitimate targets. Weapons would be placed next to their corpses, and a fake story would be created.  

Australia’s Military Chief General Campbell said that he accepted all the report’s suggestions, including the demobilization of an elite unit mentioned in the investigation and the dismissal of 13 soldiers. It is indefinite whether these soldiers are from the 19 that were suggested for criminal investigation in the report. He also publicly gave his deepest apologies to the Afghan people.  

The report on the killings also recommended administrative action against soldiers whose conduct did not meet the requirements for criminal prosecution but who should still face an outcome for their actions, and direct compensation to the victims’ families.  

Freshman at Jerry L. agreed with this suggestion made in the report, but stated that “The soldiers who directly killed innocents Afghans should be more severely punished.”  

Defense Expert at the Australian National University John Blaxland remarked, “if [countries are] honest, they’ll recognize Australia is being searingly tough on itself.”  

The international forces’ presence in Afghanistan, many of which were through US-led a coalition, were invited into the country to train Afghan troops but became more involved in fighting revolts and uprisings. Australia’s role in Afghanistan was split into two operations: Operation Slipper from 2001 to 2014 and then the current on-going Operation Highroad, which was started in 2015.   

Mayvelee B., a junior at AISG, said that the troop’s actions would be seen as a sign of deep betrayal and emphasized how terrified the Afghan people must have felt and that “they should be able to feel safe in their own country” without fear of harm from foreign nations.  

Rumors of these killings in Afghanistan first came to light in 2017 when the Australian Broadcasting Corporation received intel on the matter through leaked Defense Force documents, which resulted in a journalist writing an article about accusations of these unlawful killings of innocent Afghan citizens. The office was then raided by the federal police, who attempted to prosecute the journalist who wrote the article; this motion was, however, not seen through to the end. 

An examination of the troops’ behavior was called for by the previous Special Forces’ commander in 2015, Jeff Sengelman, upon hearing about these rumors of killing motivated by bloodlust and competition. 

Nishank Motwani, deputy director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit in Kabul, stated that the recent report was bound to leave Afghan citizens feeling “a sense of despair, vindication, and anger that foreign forces can so easily get away with cold-blooded murder.”   

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said. “Only through a series of independent inquiries will we uncover the true extent of this disregard for Afghan life, which normalized murder, and resulted in war crimes. Only through further investigation, documentation, and engagement with victims will victims’ right to truth and justice be met.”