Ben Roberts-Smith’s job ‘was to kill’ the enemy and he was successful, court hears

news.com.au ^ | 7th June 2021 | Candace Sutton

[naturalman1975]

Ben Roberts-Smith did kill a man in Afghanistan who had a prosthetic leg, but the man was a Taliban fighter who used “the leg to conceal explosives”, a court has heard.

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Mr McClintock said that media had tried to portray the “fighting age male … as a defenceless… disabled man”.

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In another incident, Mr McClintock said, Ben Roberts-Smith killed an insurgent, a mid-level Taliban member, “within the rules of engagement”.

He did so after swimming a river and then shooting the man twice as he hid among rocks, on September 11, 2012.

The man, Hekmutullah, was known as “Jungle Effect”, and had murdered three Australian soldiers, Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, Sapper James Martin and Private Robert Poate, the month before.

Earlier, the court heard Mr Roberts-Smith’s job in Afghanistan was to kill the enemy and he and fellow soldiers did so and were successful

Describing the 2010 Battle of Tizak, in which Mr Roberts-Smith fought, Mr McClintock, described it as a "high water mark” for Australian SAS soldiers.

“My client killed many insurgents. The total number killed was extremely high,” he said, telling Justice Anthony Besanko he would see a photograph of six Taliban corpses lined up in a courtyard.

“It was a full-on battle, a full-on firefight.”

Mr McClintock said allegations of Mr Roberts-Smith carrying out five “murders”in Afghanistan were motivated by “jealous” soldiers, and reported by “dishonest journalism, corrosive jealousy, cowardice and lies”.

Mr McClintock said although it might make members of the community “blush”, a soldier’s job was to kill the enemy.

“This is a case of … courage, devotion to duty, self sacrifice.

“War is violent. Battle is not like a computer war game.”

[naturalman1975]

Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG is a recipient of the Victoria Cross, Australia and the Commonwealth's highest decoration for valour in the face of the enemy. He is also a recipient of the Medal of Gallantry for another incident, Australia's third highest medal for bravery in combat (The Star of Gallantry comes between the two).

He is one of a number of Australian soldiers who have been accused of war crimes in the media - and because of his high profile has attracted the most attention.

Speaking as a retired officer of the Australian Defence Force and a military historian, some of the accusations made have disturbed me and I think all such allegations do need to be examined carefully - but so far I have seen nothing to suggest Roberts-Smith did anything other than serve his country faithfully and well.

It was part of his job to do violence to our enemies - as a soldier of the Special Air Service, arguably the core part of his job.

Some people do not seem to understand that.

[Bob434]

a person answers his country’s call to go to war, goes and fights and defends himself against the enemy, and then goes back home and has to defend themselves against their own government and msm who are out to make their life a living hell?- Swell-

[[It was part of his job to do violence to our enemies - as a soldier of the Special Air Service, arguably the core part of his job. ]]

Exactly!

[DIRTYSECRET]

same with cops

[PistolPaknMama]

same with cops

I thought the same thing. Send them into a war zone and then put them on trial. Disgraceful.

[Bob434]

Yup Agreed- They Go do their duty- then spend the rest of their life in prison because a violent junkie overdoses and because blm screams ‘Racism- Racism!’

[doorgunner69]

Beginning to sound like both of our countries need a purging of some types of people.

[Celtic Conservative]

Soldiers jobs are to kill people and break things. People like Gen. Sherman understood this:

“War is cruelty, and you cannot reform it. The crueler it is, the shorter it is.”

CC

[outofsalt]

The media celebrates Chelsea Manning and Bowe Bergdahl but attacks real heroes.

[Gay State Conservative]

Never having been ordered anywhere near combat but having known more than a few who were it’s my opinion that those who’ve never been there are not qualified to judge those who have.