Our special forces

OVER the past 10 years, 39 Australians have been killed in Afghanistan and more than 200 wounded.

OVER the past 10 years, 39 Australians have been killed in Afghanistan and more than 200 wounded.

As veteran investigative journalist Chris Masters points out, it's easy to paint Australians as victims in the conflict, yet that is far from the truth - only half of the Afghanistan story has been told, he argues. His new book, and our cover story, tells the other side: of the fight being taken up to the Taliban, of our special forces proving themselves the "world's best", of the progress on the ground. Finally, congratulations to our writer Richard Guilliatt. He has picked up two Walkley nominations for his stories on fugitive Malcolm Naden and brain injuries among footballers. Photographer Graham Crouch is also nominated for his confronting photographs of amputees in Afghanistan.