Post-script Preamble
I wrote the opinion piece below a month before the release of the Brereton Report. The language is harsh and unforgiving, but offers the best expression of my values I could muster. In the aftermath of last week’s public announcements, have my views changed? No, they have not, and Rex (Mango) and John (Comnenus) in particular have offered sane observations that reflect the best of the Cat family.
CDF’s presentation was a trainwreck. When you sit atop a chronically distracted organisation that more often seems obsessed with the whistles and bells of politically correct virtue signalling than keeping focused on your sole mission of providing operational capability to the government of the day; things fall apart. I rate General Campbell very highly, but can’t see how his position remains tenable.
Either values mean something, or they don’t.
For several years an investigation (or ‘Inquiry’) has been held in secret into the potentially illegal conduct of an unspecified number of Australian Special Forces personnel during our operations in Afghanistan. The investigation was from the beginning based on rumours as reported in the Nine/Fairfax press and on the ABC. This has in part been leveraged by Nine/Fairfax into a series of questionable legal actions against a highly decorated former member of the SAS. All the while our ADF, Defence and Ministerial leadership have (when asked before Committee) voiced confidence in the process, and in the office and person of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) who is leading the investigation.
The only evidence presented in public during this long process that comes close to providing something the Australian public could assess for themselves was the 4Corners footage of the apparent execution at close range of an Afghan national who likely posed no threat at all. The footage is stark. But there is little or no context of any detail provided with the vision. Unfortunately, the political, uniformed, departmental and media classes in this country often forget the ADF belongs to all of us – not just their privileged circle. In their eyes though we do not rate an explanation. This is a significant cultural failure and does not bode well.
Worse will be the likely impact on our special forces. When the highly redacted version of the investigation is handed down it will initiate a feeding frenzy of ethical training and awareness courses, reviews and reorganisations; all at great expense to the taxpayer. This will make the unforgiveable run-around of meaningless reviews and elite hand-jobbery in the aftermath of misbehaviour by three fresh off-the-street ADFA cadets a decade ago; look like an episode of Playschool. Our privileged circle will lead a years-long, look-at-me process of outdoing each other at converting Australian special forces from what they are now (highly capable) to something almost certainly lesser and definitely media allergic. On the IGADF website under the Afghanistan Inquiry’s Frequently Asked Questions there is a reason provided for the secrecy under which the investigation has been conducted.
The Afghanistan Inquiry is being conducted in private because it involves matters of operational security, protected identities and the reputations of individuals which may be unfairly harmed by publication. Continue reading →
Wearing a mask isn’t a political statement — it’s a patriotic duty.”