Thread by @Rashidajourno

"To the people of Afghanistan, I sincerely apologise," The Chief of the Australian Defence Force says in a press conference as he releases report detailing “unlawful killings by some” within the defence force @SBSNews

@SBSNews "None of the alleged unlawful killings were described as being in the heat of battle. None were alleged to have
occurred in circumstances in which the intent of the perpetrator was unclear, confused or mistaken."

@SBSNews "These findings allege the most serious breaches of military conduct and professional values. The killing, the unlawful killing, of civilians and prisoners is never acceptable," CDF chief Angus Campbell says

@SBSNews "This shameful record includes alleged instances in which new patrol members were coerced to shoot a prisoner in order to achieve that soldiers’ first kill in an appalling practice known as blooding."

@SBSNews Individuals alleged of unlawful criminal conduct will be referred to the office of the special investigator, CDF says

@SBSNews The meritorious unit citation for special operations task groups who served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013 will be revoked, CDF says

General Campbell asked if findings of report would be used by militants as propaganda. He says: “The need and the appropriate necessity of seeing this made public, does potentially create fuel. It is a truth, or at least an allegation of a truth, that we must face up to”

This is an extremely important point. Yesterday, I spoke to Afghans who said the Taliban was able to gain a foothold in remote Afghan villages where some of these incidents were alleged to have occurred: sbs.com.au/news/the-pm-ha…

“I think because of this kind of treatment to the civilian population that the Taliban and other insurgent groups found foothold in those in those villages."

The Taliban spokesman we spoke to also confirmed this:

sbs.com.au/news/the-pm-ha…

There's a section of the report that is heavily redacted. "Justice Brereton does describe something that is utterly disgraceful and it’s right that needs legally to be redacted. In time, in the time of history to be written, it is shameful," CDF chief says.