By Phil Mercer
VOA News
September 12, 2024
Australia has stripped military honors from senior defense commanders over alleged war crimes committed under their watch during the long conflict in Afghanistan.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles on Thursday told the Federal Parliament senior military officers who served in Afghanistan would lose their distinguished service medals.
The medals are mainly awarded to Australian military members, recognizing command and leadership in action.
Stripping some commanders of their medals was recommended by the 2020 Brereton Report, which dealt with war crimes allegedly committed during the war in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016. It found “credible evidence” elite Australian soldiers had unlawfully killed 39 people during the conflict.
Marles told Parliament senior officers were responsible for the actions of their units.
“When you command a unit, you will receive often the benefits and the accolades of what that unit does irrespective of whether you have personally been right there at the front line and, commensurately, you accept the responsibility of that unit in terms of what failings occur,” he said.
The government has not said how many officers have had their military honors rescinded, but media reports say the decision affects up to nine serving and former military commanders. Their identities have not been publicly disclosed.
They have not necessarily been accused of war crimes but have been punished for allegedly ignoring or not reporting misconduct by their troops.
Andrew Hastie, Australia’s shadow defense minister and a former military officer who served in Afghanistan, told Parliament on Thursday that commanders had an obligation to oversee the actions of their soldiers.
“Those who are alleged to have shed innocent blood are alone responsible for that,” he said. “I do not say this to absolve or condemn anyone but those in the chain of command who saw the pictures of dead individuals had an obligation to ask questions.”
The government has stressed that the vast majority of Australian service personnel who were sent to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021 had given “sacred service,” and it commended those who helped expose alleged wrongdoing.
Dozens of Australian soldiers are reportedly being investigated for alleged war crimes. So far charges have only been laid against one, a former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz.
The government has said it could take years before the cases are investigated, prosecuted and resolved because of their complex and sensitive natures.
Allegations also have been made of crimes committed by British and American forces in Afghanistan.
8am: The Taliban’s Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has intensified restrictions on citizens, particularly women, to enforce their new law. The group’s Morality Police in some provinces have instructed men not to send their wives to the market. According to these Morality Police, women, when haggling with shopkeepers, lead men astray as their voices are heard by unrelated men. The Taliban have emphasized that women should shop without speaking or bargaining. Multiple reports from various provinces indicate that the Morality Police have increased violence and repression to enforce their new laws. In a recent incident, the Taliban’s Minister for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, during a visit to Ghazni Province, did not allow journalists to film. 
Khaama: The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that food insecurity has turned into an escalating crisis in Afghanistan, with 2.9 million children under the age of five facing severe malnutrition. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, stated in a message posted on X/Twitter on Thursday, September 12, that 850,000 of these children are suffering from acute malnutrition. He emphasized that one-third of Afghanistan’s population lives in areas with food insecurity, exacerbated by floods and droughts. 
Ayaz Gul
8am: The security and intelligence gaps created by the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan and the extensive presence of active terrorist and radical Islamic groups under their umbrella represent a significant and growing threat. This environment has created a remarkable opportunity for international terrorist organizations, including ISIS-K, al-Qaeda, and TTP, to strengthen and expand their operations. If the global community does not address this threat with a coherent and unified strategy, it could lead to severe security challenges worldwide shortly. 
Afghanistan International: A group of women took to the streets in western Kabul on Wednesday to protest against the Taliban’s policies toward women. Members of the “Afghanistan Movement to Change Women’s History” marched, chanting slogans against the Taliban, labelling the group as “terrorists,” and called for the overthrow of the Taliban government. The women, emphasising on equal rights for both men and women, chanted slogans such as “Taliban commits crimes, and the world supports them”. They also reiterated the popular slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom”. 
Khaama: The third day of the Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was canceled due to ongoing rain outside Delhi on Wednesday. The Greater Noida ground, adopted by Afghanistan and located near India’s capital, has experienced persistent rain since Tuesday night, resulting in losing the first two days of play. The venue, hosting its first Test match, has been criticized for its lack of world-class facilities and inadequate drainage. 
Ayaz Gul