I need to know....

[Booney]

Maybe he committed war crimes. Let a court decide.

[amber_fluid]

Must be a lot of damming evidence

if they are what i read, they are.

Is it true several of his squad members testified against him?

I read somewhere it was more than several
Obviously pissed a lot of his colleagues off

Jealous colleagues?

I guess that’s what the court will need to decide on

[mighty_tiger_79]

its the most ridiculous thing ive heard and the fact its still going is just a joke

[Brodlach]

If he ordered subordinates to kill unarmed people as suggested, he gets what he deserves

[Spargo]

IF unarmed people were shot dead and they were members of the Taliban, well then I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse my complete lack of sympathy.

[Booney]

IF unarmed people were shot dead and they were members of the Taliban, well then I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse my complete lack of sympathy.

A crime is a crime, isn't it?

[carey]

IF unarmed people were shot dead and they were members of the Taliban, well then I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse my complete lack of sympathy.

A crime is a crime, isn't it?

From what I've read, No, not in this case.

[Dutchy]

Its certainly going to be an interesting case to follow, just not sure how they will go proving it all beyond reasonable doubt.

[RB]

I don't have any to say about the specific allegations in this case, as they're before the courts and it seems to me that no-one who isn't directly involved would be informed enough to have much worth saying about them.

However, speaking generally, I push back strongly on the notion that Australians cannot commit war crimes, or should not be held accountable where there is evidence they may have committed a war crime.

My view is that there is not a single institution on earth that is not strengthened by scrutiny or accountability. The armed forces are no exception to that.

Australia has a highly capable and professional military. This is for many reasons, including that we follow the rules of war and don't accept what other countries may be willing to accept.

What I think some people fail to understand is that by holding our soldiers (and their commanders) to appropriate standards, we strengthen - rather than weaken - our ability to defend ourselves and our interests.

In the (exceedingly rare) event that war crimes are committed by Australia, it is entirely consistent with our short- and long-term defence objectives to investigate thoroughly and take appropriate action (as we would insist upon where war crimes are committed against Australians). Not to mention notions of honour and integrity which are and should be the cornerstones of Australian military conduct.

It's also quite obvious that building and maintaining trust with locals, where Australian soldiers are deployed overseas, which unfortunately may be the case again in the future, is crucial for mission success.

Taking this stuff seriously always has and will continue to help our boys on the frontline.

[Jim05]

I deal with a lot of ADF folk regularly and they overwhelmingly support Ben but whether that support wanes if he is found guilty is another matter.
The ones I spoke to today were appalled at his treatment by the media yesterday