Agencies
Canberra
Australia has stripped senior defence commanders of military honours over alleged war crimes committed under their watch in Afghanistan.
In parliament on Thursday, Defence Minister Richard Marles said they would lose their distinguished service medals, as recommended by a landmark inquiry which alleged there was an unchecked "warrior culture” within parts of the force.
The Brereton Report, released in 2020, found "credible evidence” that elite Australian soldiers unlawfully killed 39 people during the war in Afghanistan.
"This will always be a matter of national shame,” Marles said. "At the same time... [this is] a demonstration to the Australian people and to the world, that Australia is a country which holds itself accountable.”
He would not confirm how many officers are affected, but local media say it is less than ten. Marles also stressed that the vast majority of Australian defence personnel who were deployed to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021 had given "sacred service” and praised those who helped expose the alleged wrongdoing.
The decision does not affect those under investigation for war crimes themselves, including Australia’s most decorated living solider, Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith.
He denies any wrongdoing but in a high-profile defamation case last year was found - on the balance of probabilities - to have murdered four unarmed prisoners. He has not faced criminal charges over the allegations.