The Australian military's suspected illegal killings in Afghanistan shocked the world. A long-time undisclosed investigation report further revealed the negligence and connivance of senior officials.
This investigation found that there are deep-seated cultural and leadership issues within the Australian military's special air service. Leaders at all levels failed to intervene effectively, creating an environment conducive to suspected war crimes.
According to a report cited by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on October 29, the number of "enemy deaths" reported during operations continues to rise, with sudden spikes at certain times. However, there is a lack of information about casualties among enemy forces and losses to Australian troops themselves. This is very unusual when compared to historical standards. Senior officials have access to these data, but they have not fully investigated it; some commanders have noticed the relevant figures and rumors, while others have not taken any action.
The investigation indicates that, considering the seriousness of the issues involved in the rumor, it was shocking that no effective investigation was conducted at that time.
According to the Australian Independent, some officers were actually aware that their subordinates placed weapons beside the dead in Afghanistan and disguised them as armed personnel, but they did not take effective measures to investigate and stop this behavior. Senior officers also knew about the existence of bars at the military bases that violated alcohol prohibition regulations.
The report also found that some special forces personnel consider themselves superior and believe that ordinary rules do not apply to them. Within the unit, there was even a situation where command relationships were reversed, with young officers being controlled by non-commissioned officers who should have been in charge.
Former Captain of a special air force regiment and current Liberal Party member Andrew Hasty said on the 29th that many of the findings in the report matched his personal experiences, and responsibility should be traced back along the chain of command.
This survey was initiated after the 2020 Afghan investigation report was released. Only the summary has been made public; the full report will not be disclosed due to the sensitive evidence involved in the original investigation.
