Inquiry finds Australian officers knew of efforts to portray Afghan civilians as fighters

The Guardian reported, citing the Office of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF), that a summary of an inquiry into the conduct and command structure of Australia’s special forces in Afghanistan, launched in 2021, had been made public this week.

The report found that some Australian military personnel attempted to portray Afghan civilians as fighters by placing weapons beside their bodies. Some officers were aware of the practice but failed to take meaningful steps to investigate or prevent it.

The inquiry found that poor leadership, an ineffective command structure, declining military discipline and a culture of secrecy within Australia’s special forces had created conditions conducive to serious misconduct.

It also said some personnel attempted to conceal their actions by submitting false operational reports and falsely portraying some civilians as people involved in fighting.

The findings further showed that, in some special forces units, senior non-commissioned officers had acquired such influence that junior commissioned officers were effectively unable to exercise their supervisory responsibilities and command authority.

Meanwhile, Australian Defence Force Chief Mark Hammond accepted the inquiry’s findings, saying there had been serious failures in the command structure of the special forces.

He described the conduct revealed in the report as unacceptable and contrary to the values and professional standards of the Australian Defence Force.

A previous inquiry, known as the Brereton Report and published in 2020, had found credible information indicating that Australian special forces had unlawfully killed 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners during their deployment in Afghanistan.

However, the earlier inquiry placed primary responsibility for these acts on patrol commanders, while the latest report has revealed that some officers knew about the misconduct and failed to prevent it.