{"id":6997,"date":"2020-12-03T00:39:21","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T00:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newmatilda.com\/?p=139252"},"modified":"2020-12-03T00:39:21","modified_gmt":"2020-12-03T00:39:21","slug":"war-itself-is-a-crime-let-alone-what-our-sas-did-in-afghanistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2020\/12\/03\/war-itself-is-a-crime-let-alone-what-our-sas-did-in-afghanistan\/","title":{"rendered":"War Itself Is A Crime, Let Alone What Our SAS Did in Afghanistan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
DON’T MISS ANYTHING! ONE CLICK TO GET NEW MATILDA DELIVERED DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX, FREE!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Major-General\nPaul Brereton presented his report into allegations of Australian war crimes in\nAfghanistan as necessary for a more effective ADF. But if we\u2019re horrified when\nthe Army breaks the rules of war, we should also be outraged when it follows\nthem, writes Nick Riemer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A fortnight\nafter its release, and now fuelled by China\u2019s\nintervention<\/a> into the controversy, the Brereton report continues to prompt intense\ndiscussion of its \u2018shocking\u2019 revelations of Australian war crimes in\nAfghanistan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shock\nhas, no doubt, been less among those who actually understand what war means. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From the moment Australia sent troops to one of the poorest countries in the world \u2013 one that had never attacked us, and supposedly to \u2018deny opportunities for terrorists<\/a>\u2019 \u2013 it was obvious that innocent people would be killed in droves. And that\u2019s what happened: more than 7,000 Afghans were killed by Australian troops<\/a> during Operation Slipper, by no means all of them combatants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n