Australian war crimes are acts confirmed or alleged to have been committed by the Australian Defence Force that have violated the laws and customs of war. In March 2023, Australia arrested a former SAS veteran over war crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan, becoming the first arrest of an Australian soldier for war crimes under Australian law.
Vietnam
According to a Vietnam War veteran. At the Nui Dat military base, Australian soldiers killed several Vietnamese civilian bamboo pickers and were instructed to place weapons on their bodies.
Afghanistan
Main article: Brereton ReportThe 2020 Brereton Report found that Australian special forces had been involved in 39 unlawful killings in Afghanistan. This included a practice of "blooding" where junior soldiers were told to get their first kill by shooting a prisoner.
Iraq
Several Australian figures have described former Prime Minister John Howard as a war criminal for his decision to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Some notable examples include:
- John Valder, former president of the federal Liberal Party
See also
- List of massacres of Indigenous Australians
- Allied war crimes during World War II
- British war crimes
- United States war crimes
- Israeli war crimes
- Russian war crimes
- Turkish war crimes
- United Arab Emirates war crimes
References
- "Australian SAS veteran charged with war crime in historic first". ABC News. 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- "Vietnam: Slaughter of the innocents". dailytelegraph. Archived from the original on 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- "Australian 'war crimes': Elite troops killed Afghan civilians, report finds". 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- "Howard is war criminal, says former colleague". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2004-07-19. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
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