Posted on 11/11/2020 8:38:07 PM PST by naturalman1975
A special investigator will be appointed to prosecute allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan as the Government prepares to release a long-awaited report into the conduct of special forces during the conflict.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there were a "significant number" of incidents and issues to look into, and the investigation would be "inherently complex".
And he warned the process would "[require] us to deal with honest and brutal truths where expectations and standards may not have been met".
"Given the likely allegations of serious and possibly criminal misconduct, the matters raised in the inquiry must be assessed, investigated and, where allegations are substantiated, prosecuted in court," he said.
"The Office of the Special Investigator will address the criminal matters made in the Inspector General's report and investigate those allegations, gather evidence and, whether appropriate, refer briefs to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration."
Since 2016, the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) has examined allegations of unlawful killings and other possible breaches of the law of armed conflict committed mainly by elite soldiers during their lengthy deployment in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister said the office of the investigator would be set up within the Department of Home Affairs.
Mr Morrison also announced a new panel will be established to drive cultural change inside Australia's SAS and 2nd Commando Regiment.
"The oversight panel will report directly to the Minister for Defence on the implementation of the inquiry's recommendations and their consideration of any wider implications and actions in response to the inquiry," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc.net.au ...
They were applying “Rule 303” as was done in the past!
I wonder if those investigators would be willing to travel to the scene of the so-called crime to knock on doors and look for witnesses?
Who made the complaint?
I haven’t seen the report so I don’t know. I’m deliberately trying to avoid speculation until it is released.
In a vast majority of cases it is some raghead insurgent or his widow.
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