Australia’s SAS to wear body cameras into battle to expose misconduct following Brereton Inquiry
Australia’s special forces will be forced to wear brand new body cameras to expose misconduct on the battlefield.
The measure is one of the recommendations highlighted in the Brereton report, which looks at alleged war crimes committed by Australian troops in Afghanistan.
The move has sparked outrage from some soldiers and veterans who believe body cameras will become a hindrance in the heat of battle and undermine trust between soldiers and their superiors.
Australia’s special forces will be equipped with new body cameras as one of the recommendations detailed in the Brereton report (photo, body camera footage of Australian SAS forces in Afghanistan)
The Chief of the Australian Defense Force, General Angus Campbell, strongly supported the withdrawal in November.
‘I think it’s a very good idea. It creates a degree of objectivity and an ability to learn, develop and keep records,” he said at the time.
‘That is a separate route to other assessment mechanisms that need to be strengthened and he also recommends that.
“That material would become a digital archive, kept permanently and securely so that if any claims were to arise, they would help us understand what may have happened.”
He advised the army chief at the time to “introduce a temporary body-worn camera capability available for short-term enlistment, specified duties by the end of 2023,” The Australian reported.
The introduction of the cameras was delayed following a lack of support from the Morrison government before the recommendation was revised when Labor took office.
The move has sparked backlash, with Liberal MP and former soldier Andrew Hastie warning it would breach the trust of defense personnel.
He explained that the Brereton report “exposed a breach in moral and ethical standards.”
“That’s a human problem, not one that will be solved by technology, like body and helmet cameras,” he said.
“Confidence must be restored. We don’t need technology as a substitute for command and accountability.”
The Chief of the Australian Defense Force, General Angus Campbell (pictured), strongly supported the measure in November
Liberal MP and former soldier Andrew Hastie (pictured) warned the measure would undermine confidence among defense personnel
An SAS veteran told the publication that cameras would negatively impact soldiers’ ability to make quick decisions on the battlefield.
‘The battlefield is not a backdrop for the domestic police. The battlefield is chaotic and uncontrolled and there aren’t really nice rules that apply,” he said.
The thing is, the soldier probably won’t take the risks he should if he thinks everything he does will be judged in an armchair afterwards.
Another SAS veteran concurred, describing the measure as a “flawed, knee-jerk reaction” that would not work.
He added that the only reason these recommendations were made was because of the actions of a “small number of assholes.”
Defense claims the cameras will be rolled out as part of the department’s special forces reform program.
The Brereton report found ‘credible’ evidence that 25 current or former Australian SAS soldiers unlawfully killed 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners between 2005 and 2016.
The Brereton report found ‘credible’ evidence that 25 current or former Australian SAS soldiers unlawfully killed 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners between 2005 and 2016
The report recommended taking administrative action against ADF personnel if there is credible evidence of wrongdoing, but not enough for a criminal conviction (pictured shows an Australian Special Operations Task Group soldier during the Shah Wali Kot offensive in may 2013)
Those killings included instances where new SAS patrol members were reportedly told to shoot a prisoner to commit their first kill in a practice known as “bleeding.”
There was also evidence that some soldiers carried “disposable” items such as weapons and military equipment to give the impression that the person killed was a legitimate target.
The report recommends taking administrative action against ADF personnel if there is credible evidence of wrongdoing, but not enough for a criminal conviction.
It also advised Australia to compensate the families of Afghan people killed unlawfully and to strip several service medals from some individuals and groups.