Australian defence chief vows action against commanders over Afghanistan war crimes report

Australian defence force chief General Angus Campbell has said commanders will be held accountable for the alleged war crimes committed by special forces officers in Afghanistan, which were exposed in a report last week.  

According to ABC, Campbell accepted that commanders and senior officers are at fault for ignoring and not reporting about the alleged murders of non-combatants committed by Australian special forces officers in war-torn Afghanistan. Campbell assured that they will be held accountable on a "case-by-case" basis. 

Read: Australia Will Respond 'very Seriously' To War Crime Allegations: PM Morrison

A four-year review led by Maj. Gen. Justice Paul Brereton is reported to have uncovered cases of war crimes committed in Afghanistan by Australian armed forces. The inquiry revealed that Australian special forces officers, who were deployed as part of NATO in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2016, killed at least 39 people.

The report has dubbed the killings as 'blooding', a practice where subordinates are asked by their seniors to execute prisoners in order to get their first kill in service. According to the report, there is evidence that victims were not combatants and in some cases teenagers. 

Read: Report Of War Crimes In Afghanistan By Australia Special Forces Sparks Outrage

'Deeply troubling' 

Ever since the report has been released, it has garnered criticism from all over the world and demand for an independent inquiry into other forces that are deployed in Afghanistan, alongside the United States Army. Campbell too had to tender an apology to the families of the victims after the report was published last week. The report also attracted condemnation from Afghanistan's civil society, who said they "expected better from Australia".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) director-general Robert Mardini described the findings of the report as "deeply troubling". Mardini also commended the Australian government's decision to take action on guilty commanders. 

Read: UN Asks UK Parl To Reject Bill Giving Impunity For War Crime, Says 'no Excuse For Torture'

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