On thursday September 12, 20224 the Defense Minister Richard Marles announced that retired and active commanders from Australian Special Forces have been stripped of their metals after allegations of war crimes being committed during the Afghanistan War. After many circulating rumors of crimes being committed after a media leak acurd releasing the original allegations. These commanders were accused of killing upwards of 39 innocent people between the year 2005-2016. There has been a lot of controversy around this because there were no official reports of this occurring. Many members of the Australian Special Air Service Association heavily frowned on this decision. The chair Martin Hamilton-Smith is quoted saying, “The government’s decision overlooks the courageous leadership of these young officers on the battlefield.” Lawmaker Andrew Hastie, a Afghanistan vatran, has also spoken out on his dislike of the government’s decision. In May former army lawyer David McBride had been arrested and charged with the initial leak of the information to the media. In 2023 the first commander to be charged with one of these war crimes was Oliver Schulz.
This event sheds light on the lasting effects of the Afghanistan War. The war ended roughly 3 years ago but the events still shock people today. There is this idea of the past but as the world has seen in recent years, that isn’t true in our day in age. A new precedent is being set by the Australian government too. There seems to be now no statute of limitations on possible crimes that had taken place nearly 10 years ago. Now I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a statute of limitations on these alleged crimes. But the Australian government is making a precedent nonetheless.
Australia will most likely continue to go back and forth about whether or not these commanders should be charged. There is a growing conflict between members of their house and public figures. In the next couple months there may possibly be more charges being brought on to these commanders. But the Australian government should also take into account the public’s opinion on the matter and see how they are reacting. Afghanistan has not said anything about these convicts but there should be some positive feeling from them. In their eyes their people may be getting justice.
In class we always discuss the effect of actions of countries. We debate possible outcomes and what the costs would be. I think this incident showcases one of these possible outcomes. It has shown the aftermath unfolded years after the initial accused crimes were performed. In class we talk about how events can change the course of history and Defense Minister Richard Marles has stated that this is one of Australia’s pivotal moments.