Warcrimes bombshell

Afghanistan veterans under the gun

AUSTRALIAN soldiers face potential criminal charges and having their medals stripped after a damning report into the actions of some Special Forces operative sin Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday announced a special investigator would be appointed to prepare briefs of evidence against Special Forces soldiers who may have committed war crimes while serving in Afghanistan from 2005-2016.

Those found to have committed crimes will be referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for potential prosecution.

The move follows a fouryear investigation by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force

which identified 55 incidents of potential breaches of the Laws of Armed Conflict, including unlawful killings and cruel treatment of non-combatants.

The government also announced the establishment of a three-member oversight panel to ensure the ADF leadership acted sufficiently in response to recommendations contained in the IGADF report.

University of Tasmania vice-chancellor Rufus Black will be part of the oversight panel. Professor Black previously led a review of Defence Department accountability and decision-making in 2011 and are view of Australia’ s intelligence community.

Mr Morrison said some “very serious issues’’ had been raised regarding the conduct of some Special Forces soldiers, and that Australia needed to confront some “honest and brutal truths”.

“This will be difficult and hard news for Australians, I can assure you, to hear,’’ he said.

“It is going to be very difficult for our serving community and our veterans’ community .”

The IGADF report was handed to Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell last week and a redacted version will be made public in comingdays.