(Bloomberg) -- Australia will revoke military awards from a small number of soldiers who served in command roles during deployment in Afghanistan, in the latest fallout from a 2020 report into alleged war crimes.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles announced the decision in a speech to Parliament on Thursday, describing the findings of the report by Major-General Paul Brereton as “a matter of national shame.”
But Marles, who doubles as defence minister, said the report is also “a demonstration to the Australian people and to the world, that Australia is a country which holds itself accountable.”
A government official, who asked not to be identified as they are not authorized to speak publicly, said less than 10 Australian soldiers who had been in command during the events covered in the Brereton Report had been told their military awards had been revoked.
Marles said this was a recommendation of the report and he would not be disclosing further details on those affected, “in accordance with obligations owed to individuals involved, including under the Privacy Act.” Marles said his statement marked the end of the government’s response to the Brereton Report.
While the report found no “credible information” that soldiers in command were aware of the alleged war crimes, Brereton said they bore “moral command responsibility and accountability for what happened under their command and control.”
Australia joined the conflict in Afghanistan in 2001 following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and only completely withdrew two decades later in 2021 at the end of the US mission in the country.
Marles’ statement is part of Australia’s response to claims of serious misconduct by members of the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan over the period 2005 to 2016.
“Any prosecutions of Australian War Crimes will happen inside Australia by Australian courts,” he said.
Marles’ statement comes four years after then-Chief of the Australian Defence Force Angus Campbell released the findings of the Brereton report, which alleged special forces soldiers were involved in 39 unlawful killings of prisoners, farmers and other civilians during the war in Afghanistan.
Campbell said the report found there was credible information that 25 personnel may have been complicit and 36 matters should be referred to police for criminal investigation.
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