Special forces who served well deserve their citations

After less than three weeks, Defence Minister Peter Dutton is making a positive mark in his portfolio. Mr Dutton’s decision that special forces veterans who served in Afghanistan will retain their Meritorious Unit Citations unless they are convicted of war crimes or sacked over their conduct in relation to alleged murders will draw widespread respect across the ADF and beyond. In making that call, the minister has overruled Chief of Defence Force Angus Campbell. In November, General Campbell said Special Operations Task Group soldiers would be stripped of their unit citations as a “collective punishment” for alleged crimes uncovered in the Brereton report. As Mr Dutton says, “99 per cent of our ADF personnel serve, and have served, our country with distinction”. There is no good reason why the majority of special forces, who face dangers and privations most of us cannot imagine, should be stripped of well-earned citations because of the heinous behaviour of a minority. The“fair go’’ principle needs to be applied.

The Meritorious Unit Citation was awarded to special forces soldiers for “sustained and outstanding warlike operational service in Afghanistan from 30 April, 2007 to 31 December, 2013, through the conduct of counterinsurgency operations in support of the International Security Assistance Force”. In November, General Campbell accepted the advice of NSW Supreme Court judge Paul Brereton, after a four-year inquiry, that the citations be revoked for 3000 recipients, declaring “units live and fight as a team”. The Brereton investigation found “credible information” that up to 25 serving and former soldiers were involved in and covered up alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. These included the alleged murders of innocent farmers, two adolescent boys and compliant prisoners.

But Scott Morrison wisely put General Campbell’s revocation of the MUCs on hold after an outpouring of anger from veterans and their families and a petition that drew 50,000 signatures in support of the veterans. As Ben Packham reported at the time, Felix Solomon Sher, father of Private Gregory Michael Sher, a commando killed by a Taliban rocket attack, said if General Campbell wanted to take his son’s award, he could ­“collect it himself from my son’s gravestone”. The Australian has argued consistently that if members of Australia’s elite special forces committed war crimes or atrocities during our longest war, which will finally end after 20 years in September, they deserve to face the full weight of the law. The Brereton inquiry began in May 2016. Justice needs to be done, and seen to be done, as soon as possible. Where appropriate, charges should be laid and trials held. As we editorialised in November: “This century, our wars have been fought exclusively by volunteers. Most have upheld the finest traditions of the Australian Army. Those who have not must be held to account. We support the ADF leadership in restoring ethical standards. Barbarism in the defence of noble values is unacceptable.’’

Mr Dutton is making it clear to Defence personnel — particularly in this decision ahead of Anzac Day — “the government has their back’’, Packham writes. He has also made it clear he expects Defence to focus on its “core business”, and not on progressive social posturing. In view of rising regional tensions over Chinese aggression, including the possibility of a great-power conflict over Taiwan, this makes eminent sense. It is also the reason the grave allegations in the Brereton report, released five months ago, need to be tested in court, and culprits dealt with. For the sake of national security, the matter must be resolved if morale is to be restored. There is no place for war criminals in the ADF. But revoking citations for a hard job well done by our best forces was not in the interests of the ADF or the nation.