According to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, the court decision against decorated war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith was a “tough day for the country” and there has been a “significant culture change” at the Australian Defence Force.
In an interview with the Nine Network on Friday morning, Mr. Dutton said, “I think it’s a tough day for our country to be honest.”
“The vast majority of Australians have the utmost respect for the SAS and Defence Force. There is currently an active criminal investigation as well as an appeal in this case.
A judge rejected Mr. Roberts-Smith’s defamation lawsuit against three newspapers after concluding that the defence of substantial truth had been proved regarding the alleged unlawful killings and bullying.
The court approved Arthur Moses SC’s request for an extension to appeal on behalf of Mr. Roberts-Smith, should Mr. Roberts-Smith choose to do so.
Most Australians still hold the former SAS regiment of the Victoria Cross recipient in the greatest regard, according to the former defence minister Mr. Dutton, who also thinks there have been significant changes made to the regiment since Mr. Roberts-Smith’s time.
“I think there has been a significant culture change over the last half dozen years at least,” he asserts.
“If you visit the regiment in Perth now, you’ll find that hardly anyone served in Afghanistan or was involved in Middle Eastern conflicts.
“The next generation, even one removed, are now serving in the SAS,” he continued.
The Special Air Service Association and other veterans’ organisations have issued warnings that the court’s decision may further impede defence service recruiting.
All of this has been tremendously harmful, not only to the SAS Regiment and special forces, but also to the Defence Force as a whole, and I believe that is in part due to how the government and the ADF itself have handled the situation.
In response to the historic court judgement, the Taliban administration in Afghanistan claimed that foreign forces had perpetrated “uncountable crimes” throughout the country’s 20-year war.
According to Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi, the occurrences that were the subject of Mr. Roberts-Smith’s legal case were only a “small part” of the numerous alleged crimes that were committed, and the Taliban did not trust any court in the world to investigate them.
Senator David Shoebridge of the Green Party urged the Albanese administration to “urgently progress” the payment of reparations to Afghan families who were allegedly the victims of Australian war crimes during the US-led conflict.
However, it moves us closer, according to Mr. Shoebridge. “This is not justice for the families who lost loved ones or for the communities that have been brutalised by war crimes.”
One of the main unimplemented recommendations of the Brereton report is that the Albanese Labour administration move rapidly forward with reparations for families of those who were allegedly victims of war crimes in Afghanistan.
