Latest news with #Roberts-Smith
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Journalists' attacks on Ben Roberts-Smith unjustified
If Chris Masters were to apply the same standard of behaviour to himself as he does to Ben Roberts-Smith, he would not be defending his journalism by resorting to personal attacks on those who hold a contrary view to him about whether Roberts-Smith is a war criminal (' Roberts-Smith and his rabid band of supporters has an outspoken new member – Gina Rinehart ', May 25). There is no justification for describing such people as 'rabid'. As one of them, I'm offended by the characterisation. Masters claims there is 'profound evidence revealing Australia's most decorated living soldier is a war criminal' yet Roberts-Smith has never been charged, let alone found in a criminal trial to be guilty of murder. Why is that, one wonders. Until he is found guilty, accusations of wrongdoing by Roberts-Smith should properly always be qualified as 'alleged'. It is true that four judges 'have now found to a civil court standard that Roberts-Smith murdered four captives', that is, that he probably did so, though it is not beyond reasonable doubt that he did. This finding is only on the basis of the evidence before them in the civil defamation matter and applies only for the purpose of providing the defamers with a truth defence for their defaming of Roberts-Smith by calling him a war criminal. Most critics of Masters, his fellow journalist Nick McKenzie and the Herald and The Age for what they have published about Roberts-Smith are not rabid. Instead, they have a healthy and genuine concern for the man's right to his former good reputation and, too, for the upholding of the foundational legal convention that courts are to presume an accused person innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Surely this defence of a man found by a civil court to have murdered lets down the many thousands of people who have served in our military and complied with the rules. Australia has always been quick to stand up and condemn war crimes by other countries; apparently it is different when it is us. And what about the compensation recommended for those poor families whose husband and father Roberts-Smith was found on the balance of probability to have murdered? As far as I am aware that has never been paid – another great shame for Australia. It seems we have one rule for others and a different rule for ourselves. Michael McMullan, Avoca Trump's free ride The ethics surrounding Donald Trump's acceptance of an out-of-date replacement for his big boy's toy, aka Air Force One, are questionable to say the least ('Love at first sight – but Trump will have to wait to fly new Air Force One', May 25). Presidents past have coveted this obscene display of power and self-indulgent importance. Protect the so-called leader of the free world by all means, but why such a gas-guzzling, flying mini-White House? Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook Leyding the way Jacqueline Maley has helped me to see Liberal leader Sussan Ley in a new light (' Littleproud's Trumpian tactics showcased Ley's grace under fire ', May 25). After the monumental disaster for the Coalition that was the federal election, the break-up fiasco spearheaded by Littleproud, followed by its swift repudiation, has turned the Nationals into a laughing stock. Through it all Ms Ley has emerged with her credibility firmly intact. She must not now simply give in to the Nationals' demands, but rather concentrate on doing what she promised to do: respect, reflect and represent modern Australia in an honest attempt to listen and learn from past mistakes. Nothing less will return the Liberal Party to the capable opposition our country deserves. Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
War crimes investigator launches raids in major escalation
The elite anti-war crimes agency probing the involvement of ex-SAS soldiers in executions in Afghanistan conducted surprise raids in Perth on Wednesday as part of its ongoing investigations. It is the first time the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) has launched raids on targets and amounts to a major escalation of its almost five-year inquiry into civilian deaths at the hands of Australian soldiers. The raids were confirmed by three official sources not permitted to speak publicly about the agency's work. It is not clear if the raids were connected to the OSI's examination of disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, although detectives from the agency have spent months finalising the statements of witnesses who have agreed to testify against the disgraced war hero over his execution of prisoners and civilians. The OSI is examining suspected murders beyond the four cases that were part of the ex-soldier's failed bid to clear his name. Witness statements collected by the OSI also deal with attempts by Roberts-Smith to cover up his war crimes. The raids were welcomed by SAS veterans who served in Afghanistan and who believe Roberts-Smith and the small number of other soldiers who allegedly executed civilians and prisoners brought shame onto the special forces regiment and should be held to account. However, veterans who back the war crimes suspects turned to social media to attack the OSI actions, claiming the raids were unjust. One post claimed the war crimes investigators, who include some of Australia's most experienced homicide detectives, were trying to 'shake the tree' to find evidence. This masthead revealed last week that the OSI, which has been investigating war criminal Roberts-Smith over multiple murders, including cases not canvassed in his marathon defamation trial, has secured the co-operation of new witnesses. Roberts-Smith's comprehensive loss before the full bench of the Federal Court – which affirmed the finding that the Special Air Service Regiment veteran ordered the murder of four Afghans – paved the way for the OSI to prosecute the former corporal.
The Age
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
War crimes investigator launches raids in major escalation
The elite anti-war crimes agency probing the involvement of ex-SAS soldiers in executions in Afghanistan conducted surprise raids in Perth on Wednesday as part of its ongoing investigations. It is the first time the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) has launched raids on targets and amounts to a major escalation of its almost five-year inquiry into civilian deaths at the hands of Australian soldiers. The raids were confirmed by three official sources not permitted to speak publicly about the agency's work. It is not clear if the raids were connected to the OSI's examination of disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, although detectives from the agency have spent months finalising the statements of witnesses who have agreed to testify against the disgraced war hero over his execution of prisoners and civilians. The OSI is examining suspected murders beyond the four cases that were part of the ex-soldier's failed bid to clear his name. Witness statements collected by the OSI also deal with attempts by Roberts-Smith to cover up his war crimes. The raids were welcomed by SAS veterans who served in Afghanistan and who believe Roberts-Smith and the small number of other soldiers who allegedly executed civilians and prisoners brought shame onto the special forces regiment and should be held to account. However, veterans who back the war crimes suspects turned to social media to attack the OSI actions, claiming the raids were unjust. One post claimed the war crimes investigators, who include some of Australia's most experienced homicide detectives, were trying to 'shake the tree' to find evidence. This masthead revealed last week that the OSI, which has been investigating war criminal Roberts-Smith over multiple murders, including cases not canvassed in his marathon defamation trial, has secured the co-operation of new witnesses. Roberts-Smith's comprehensive loss before the full bench of the Federal Court – which affirmed the finding that the Special Air Service Regiment veteran ordered the murder of four Afghans – paved the way for the OSI to prosecute the former corporal.
Sydney Morning Herald
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Roberts-Smith's rabid band of supporters has an outspoken new member
'That is not the way we fight. We have a long and hard-won reputation as being feared fighters, but fighters who engage according to the Geneva Convention,' d'Hage says. Loading Given many critics' apparent aversion to examining those pages, here is a distillation of key evidence. On April 13, 2009, Ben Roberts-Smith kicked an old man to his knees and instructed a junior soldier, in an exercise of 'blooding', to shoot him in the head. Soon after, he frogmarched a second Afghan man fitted with a prosthetic leg, threw him to the ground, and killed him with a burst of machine gun fire. On October 12, 2012, a third unarmed and detained man was executed by an Afghan partner force member upon Roberts-Smith's instruction. And on November 11, 2012, Ali Jan, a father of three with no established links to the Taliban, was handcuffed and kicked over a small cliff by Roberts-Smith, who then ordered two comrades to drag him to cover, where he was shot dead. At numerous speaking events, Age investigative journalist Nick McKenzie and I have argued the following: It is morally wrong to kill or order the execution of captives. It is strategically wrong because it turns the population further against your mission. All those Australian soldiers bravely patrolling the fields of Uruzgan as a protective force against the Taliban were placed at greater risk. And it is wrong to force an act upon a fellow soldier so destructive of conscience and self-respect. Soldiers who have earned the Special Air Service Regiment's sandy beret are rightly proud. When they returned to civilian life as psychological wrecks because of what they saw and did, as did occur, the damage was obvious. From my own observation, the self-harm to the regiment was the main reason for a brave group of Special Air Service Regiment soldiers to speak up. Nick and I both know they did so with extreme reluctance, all under subpoena, because of a view within the ranks that dobbing in your mate was a worse sin than exposing a war crime. That view was shared by members of the uber wealthy. Billionaire Kerry Stokes has spent millions on Roberts-Smith's case. Multi-millionaire John Singleton funded a full-page newspaper advertisement describing attacks on the war hero as 'disgraceful'. And now Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, is quoted querying why this 'brave and patriotic man' should be 'under such attack'. I can only wonder what is in their minds. Do they believe that in their real world, ruthlessness is a necessity that should be honoured? Last December, my brother Roy and I spoke to a well-heeled audience of Aussie expats in Singapore. We were warned ahead of time that there would be a pro-Roberts-Smith sentiment and opposition expressed to our reporting. Loading The day before, Roy and I had walked the grounds of the Alexandra Hospital. We found a small plaque commemorating the massacre of 250 patients and staff by Japanese forces on February 14, 1942. I spoke the next day of the shock that is still felt about those helpless victims being dragged into the garden and bayonetted to death. And I asked how we could condemn the Japanese while excusing our own. There was no answer.
The Age
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Roberts-Smith's rabid band of supporters has an outspoken new member
'That is not the way we fight. We have a long and hard-won reputation as being feared fighters, but fighters who engage according to the Geneva Convention,' d'Hage says. Loading Given many critics' apparent aversion to examining those pages, here is a distillation of key evidence. On April 13, 2009, Ben Roberts-Smith kicked an old man to his knees and instructed a junior soldier, in an exercise of 'blooding', to shoot him in the head. Soon after, he frogmarched a second Afghan man fitted with a prosthetic leg, threw him to the ground, and killed him with a burst of machine gun fire. On October 12, 2012, a third unarmed and detained man was executed by an Afghan partner force member upon Roberts-Smith's instruction. And on November 11, 2012, Ali Jan, a father of three with no established links to the Taliban, was handcuffed and kicked over a small cliff by Roberts-Smith, who then ordered two comrades to drag him to cover, where he was shot dead. At numerous speaking events, Age investigative journalist Nick McKenzie and I have argued the following: It is morally wrong to kill or order the execution of captives. It is strategically wrong because it turns the population further against your mission. All those Australian soldiers bravely patrolling the fields of Uruzgan as a protective force against the Taliban were placed at greater risk. And it is wrong to force an act upon a fellow soldier so destructive of conscience and self-respect. Soldiers who have earned the Special Air Service Regiment's sandy beret are rightly proud. When they returned to civilian life as psychological wrecks because of what they saw and did, as did occur, the damage was obvious. From my own observation, the self-harm to the regiment was the main reason for a brave group of Special Air Service Regiment soldiers to speak up. Nick and I both know they did so with extreme reluctance, all under subpoena, because of a view within the ranks that dobbing in your mate was a worse sin than exposing a war crime. That view was shared by members of the uber wealthy. Billionaire Kerry Stokes has spent millions on Roberts-Smith's case. Multi-millionaire John Singleton funded a full-page newspaper advertisement describing attacks on the war hero as 'disgraceful'. And now Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, is quoted querying why this 'brave and patriotic man' should be 'under such attack'. I can only wonder what is in their minds. Do they believe that in their real world, ruthlessness is a necessity that should be honoured? Last December, my brother Roy and I spoke to a well-heeled audience of Aussie expats in Singapore. We were warned ahead of time that there would be a pro-Roberts-Smith sentiment and opposition expressed to our reporting. Loading The day before, Roy and I had walked the grounds of the Alexandra Hospital. We found a small plaque commemorating the massacre of 250 patients and staff by Japanese forces on February 14, 1942. I spoke the next day of the shock that is still felt about those helpless victims being dragged into the garden and bayonetted to death. And I asked how we could condemn the Japanese while excusing our own. There was no answer.
