PM MUST APOLOGISE

I REFER to an article in the Courier Mail on 23/8/21, page 4: Cleared of crime and sent to Kabul; and in the Courier Mail on 27/8/21, page 11: A sorry saga for cleared soldiers.

In the article of 27/8/2021 it is reported: “The 13 were told last week there was ‘insufficient information’ to support allegations of war crimes raised in the

Brereton Inquiry and that the notices to show cause why they should not be dismissed were being withdrawn.”

I remember clearly how immediately following the completion of the Brereton Report these soldiers were vigorously and publicly vilified and demonised.

In effect they were regarded as guilty even though the evidence against them had not been tested in a criminal court with the usual presumption of innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the burden of proof being on the prosecution, not the defendants. To his credit, Defence Minister Peter Dutton restored citations that had been withdrawn by the defence chief.

Moreover, the announcement has been made under cover of darkness so to speak. I have not heard or seen any other reports (although there may well have been) and it troubles me that the decision to discontinue action against the soldiers has not been revealed as openly as were the accusations and vilification.

Even the articles in the Courier Mail were embedded in the body of the newspaper.

If these reports are true and if the federal government is serious about honouring our defence personnel, as it should be, then the Prime Minister himself should

publicly apologise on behalf of the government.

RAYMOND VICTOR HORN, Annandale.