Report of war crimes in Afghanistan by Australia special forces sparks outrage

Brereton war crimes inquiry has revealed 39 cases of alleged murders of Afghans by Australian special forces, who were deployed as part of NATO in war-torn country from 2005 to 2016. According to Guardian, four-year review led by Maj Gen Justice Paul Brereton has uncovered cases of war crimes committed in Afghanistan by Australian armed forces. 

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inquiry revealed that some of murders that took place were carried out at behest of patrol commanders, who asked ir subordinates to execute prisoners in order to get ir first kill, a practice kwn as 'blooding' among soldiers. According to report, re is evidence that victims were t combatants and in some cases teenrs. 

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'Expected better from Australia' 

findings have sparked shock and outr in Afghanistan's civil society. Hi Marifat, executive director of Afghanistan's Human Rights and Democracy Organisation, said that report has left him "shocked" as he did t expect such things from Australian armed forces. "What is actually shocking for us is that we have been expecting better from Australia and Australian armed forces," Marifat said. 

report has also garnered a lot of criticism from Australia's political class, with former prime minister Kevin Rudd saying he was "utterly disgusted". Australia's Defence Minister Linda Reylds said that she was "physically ill" after reing report. Angus Campbell, chief of Australian defence force, has tendered an apology to families of victims. 

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Brereton inquiry has also prompted Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) to call on governments of United Kingdom, United States, and or nations, whose armed forces are stationed in country, to set-up a similar independent inquiry to review conduct of ir special forces. AIHRC particularly called on British government to set-up an inquiry to review conduct of UK's special forces after allegations of unlawful killings surfaced recently. 

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(Im Credit: AP)