- Australian SAS soldiers were part of a patrol that killed
11 innocent tribesmen and wounded 16 in a bungled operation during the
war on terror in Afghanistan, Time Magazine has reported.
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- One of the SAS soldiers was accused of souveniring the
turban and gun of one of the dead villagers and was asked to show cause
why he should not be discharged, the report said.
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- Two other Australian soldiers were also issued show cause
notices, the magazine said.
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- The defence department confirmed that disciplinary action
was taken over "some internal aspects" of the patrol.
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- But it said an investigation had found that the Australians
acted in self-defence and in accordance with the rules of engagement, which
allowed the use of force to defend themselves and fellow officers if threatened.
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- "Each Australian element that opened fire, or called
in fire, did so in response to direct threats to their safety," defence
said in a statement.
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- Time magazine said five Australian members of the Special
Air Service Regiment were part of a US-led mission in eastern Afghanistan
to flush out Taliban and al-Qaeda forces in 2002.
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- The Australians shot dead two Afghan villagers they believed
to be enemy fighters, and were later engaged in a fierce battle in which
another nine civilians died, some from aircraft bombs, the magazine reported.
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- Time journalist Rory Callinan said his colleague Tim
McGirk spoke to villagers who confirmed the story and said Australians
had not fulfilled promises to apologise and provide compensation.
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- The SAS patrol leader has since quit the army, accusing
his superiors of a cover-up.
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- "It was a cover-up," the patrol leader told
Time.
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- The magazine also published for the first time the rules
of engagement for the SAS during Operation Slipper, the code name for the
post-September 11 Afghanistan mission.
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- The rules stated "incidental/collateral damage"
was acceptable as long as it was not "excessive in relation to direct
military advantage anticipated to be gained".
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- Defence Minister Robert Hill declined to comment, citing
normal secrecy about the activities of the elite SAS.
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- "It's not normal process to respond to operational
issues of the SAS," his spokeswoman said.
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- "The chief of the defence forces will determine
if there is anything that needs to be looked at further."
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- The magazine said the six-member SAS patrol, known as
Redback Kilo Three, set up an observation post near the village of Bhalkhel
in eastern Afghanistan in mid-May 2002.
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- When a man armed with a rifle came near them and appeared
to go for his weapon the patrol opened fire.
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- Alerted by the gunshots, other armed men began moving
into position and firing.
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- The patrol radioed the remainder of the SAS's Three Squadron,
with members setting off on the two hour trip to help their comrades.
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- While waiting for back-up, one of the soldiers souvenired
a turban, rifle and magazine of bullets from a dead villager, Time said.
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- When they heard the gunshots nearby, tribesmen from the
Sabari village, who were in dispute with the Bhalkhel tribesmen over forest
rights, thought they were coming under attack and fired back.
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- A US forward air controller travelling with the Australian
rescue convoy summoned an AC-130 aircraft and its laser-guided bombs smashed
into the villagers' bunkers.
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- One of the survivors, Abdul Hassan, told Time he thought
he was fighting the Bhalkhel.
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- "So the last thing I expected was for bombs to fall
from the sky," he said.
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- The villagers alerted police, who contacted a nearby
US base at Khost to say innocent people were being killed.
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- Time magazine located and interviewed relatives of the
dead civilians, who left behind nearly 50 children now reliant on hand-outs
to survive.
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- Village elders say an Australian officer later apologised
and promised compensation, but they have received nothing.
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- © 2005 AAP
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- Copyright © 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald.
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- http://smh.com.au/articles/200
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