Australian War Crimes in Afghanistan

 

Opinion

Filling the 24 hours news cycle in Australia today is the newly released inquiry alleging that the Australian special forces committed 39 murders in Afghanistan. There are now 19 current and former soldiers that could face prosecution in the coming months. The defense inquiry reveals a military culture that resembles a common city street gang tactics (blooding) immersed in murder, cover-ups, and on-going lies.

It is reported that the majority of these war crimes were committed or ordered by non-commissioned officers that are part of The Special Air Service Regiment's second squadron, who spread a “warrior-hero.” culture, involving an initiation called “blooding,” where serviceman are ordered to murder innocent no-combatants to establish there 'standing' in the Unit.

In the report released on November 19 contained a particular instance of 'blooding,' where an Afghani father, a non-combatant, was forced to kneel at the foot of a precipice, bound, shot in the head, to then be kicked over the edge. According to the Geneva Convention, this is a blatant 'war crime,' and a crime against humanity. There are other such crimes recorded in the report that will cause great distress for many Australians and citizens across the planet.

It should be noted here that in the past, modern-day war crimes rarely see justice, but the commission stated that reparations for the families of these Afghani murders should be made. Whether those soldiers that committed these atrocious acts see any punishment for their crimes against humanity, the victims' families should indeed be compensated.

I find it astonishing that earlier this year, The Washington Post published The Afghanistan Papers revealing the military and their advisers in a deep quandary as to who was the actual enemy. This report went onto describe Afghanistan as one long “cluster fuck” and an endless money pit for the major weapons manufactures. This is a 'war' that has gone on for over 19 years with no real end in sight. As an aside, despite being a lucrative war for the weapon manufacturers, the country is also rich in natural resources and a major supplier of opium on the world market.

What also should be said that earlier this month, when President Trump announced bringing home the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, the true warmongers came out of the woodwork in droves. Especially the mainstream media, claiming Trump was being irresponsible and putting our serviceman in harm's way. This is your quintessential war propaganda, spread by the corporations who are an important arm of a vast military Industrial Complex.

Australia has followed the United States into just about every illegal war and conflict since the end of WWII. As part of the 5 eyes network of Intelligence, including New Zealand, UK, Canada, and the United States, it is no wonder we follow the warmonger neoliberals into any conflict around the planet that only behooves Corporations.

The war in Afghanistan has been waging for over 19 years. WWII only lasted 5 years, so this begs the obvious question: Why are we still waging conflict on another sovereignty's soil? The answer is a cynical one, but I believe the truth: It is 10% strategic, in terms of the country's geographical location, and 90% for the corporations and their on-going profit.

When one views this “war” through this particular lens and sees soldiers' carnage on both sides, the war crimes committed. The huge amount of innocents dead simply for profit... anyone with a sliver of conscience should feel a tinge of guilt for what our governments have committed us to in 'our' name – an illegal war for the geographical position and unadulterated profit.

This war must end, and every Australian should feel shame in this latest crime report against humanity, all for the elites and the corporations to make an on-going profit.

Disgusting.