Australian soldiers ‘thrown under the bus’ over alleged Afghanistan war crimes, SAS body says

After report found senior officers should take some responsibility, Australian SAS Association chair says ‘finally’ the finger is being pointed at ministers and generals

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Australian soldiers and junior officers were thrown “under the bus” by generals and politicians over allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan, a body representing Australia’s SAS has said in the wake of an excoriating report that found “more senior officers have to take some level of responsibility”.

The chair of the Australian SAS Association, Martin Hamilton-Smith, said veterans were comforted that “finally” an investigative body set up to look at the allegations emerging from the Afghan conflict “was pointing the finger at the ministers and generals who designed the war, and sent our people to fight it”.

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