Several serving and former Australian military commanders have been stripped of medals over allegations of war crimes committed during the Afghanistan war, Defense Minister Richard Marles announced Thursday. This decision aligns with recommendations from the Brereton Report, which investigates misconduct by Australian special forces between 2005 and 2016.
Defense Minister Marles, in a statement detailing the closure of the Afghanistan Inquiry Report, stated, “Two of the outstanding recommendations of the Brereton Report related to command accountability of commanders during the relevant period. The last step in closing out these two recommendations was me writing to relevant commanders about my decision in relation to medals awarded to them as part of their service during periods proximate to the incidents which are at the heart of the Brereton Report. I have now written these letters. My decisions on this matter are consistent with the findings and recommendations of the Brereton Report. In accordance with obligations owed to individuals involved, including under the Privacy Act, I am prohibited from disclosing the details and outcomes.”
The Brereton inquiry has implicated around 25 troops from the Special Air Service Regiment and Commando Regiment in the unlawful killings of 39 Afghans. Minister Marles emphasized the severity of these allegations, reiterating their significance to Australian war history. During a parliamentary speech, he noted, “The allegations which are the subject of the Brereton report are arguably the most serious allegations of Australian war crimes in our history.”
To date, no Australian veteran has been convicted of a war crime in Afghanistan. However, former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz faced charges in 2023 for allegedly killing a noncombatant in 2012. Additionally, whistleblower and ex-army lawyer David McBride was sentenced for leaking classified information about these allegations.
The 2020 Brereton inquiry’s findings corroborated credible information concerning 39 unlawful killings by Australian Special Forces, allegedly extending to incidents of cruel or inhuman treatment of non-combatants. Additional details are available from Parliamentary Library records.
The full article can be found on JURIST.