Stripmedals from Commanders: A Critical Look at War Crime Allegations in Afghanistan

It's disturbing to hear that several serving and former Australian military commanders have had their medals stripped due to allegations of war crimes committed during the Afghanistan war. The findings of Maj. Gen. Paul Brereton's investigation revealed that around 25 Australian Special Air Service Regiment and Commando Regiment troops were involved in the unlawful killings of 39 Afghans between 2005 and 2016. But why are those who commanded these troops being held accountable? Are they truly responsible for the actions of their subordinates? "The government's decision overlooks the courageous leadership of these young officers on the battlefield based on unproven allegations that somewhere in a remote village unseen and unknown to these commanders, an unlawful act might have occurred on their watch," says Australian Special Air Service Association chair Martin Hamilton-Smith. What if these allegations are indeed unfounded? What might the author have missed?

Let's examine the bigger picture. The removal of medals is not a punishment for the officers' wrongdoing, but rather a symbolic act to hold them accountable for the actions of their troops. But isn't this a slippery slope? Should we be holding commanders accountable for the actions of their subordinates, even if they had no knowledge of the wrongdoing? If so, what's to stop us from holding politicians accountable for the actions of their staff? It's also worth noting that no Australian veteran has been convicted of a war crime in Afghanistan. But what about those higher up the chain of command who might have had knowledge of the allegations but chose to ignore them? Shouldn't they also be held accountable?

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