EDITORIAL: Medals stoush shows wounds are far from healed

Richard Marles wanted this to be the end of it, the full stop at the end of what has been a bruising and deeply painful saga for many.

But in stripping medals from up to nine officers over allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan, all he has done is tear open old wounds.

The Defence Minister says he followed the advice given to him through the Brereton report “to the letter”.

That report found “credible information” that members of the Australian Special Forces had committed war crimes during operations in Afghanistan, namely the murders of 39 civilians or prisoners.

Maj-Gen. Paul Brereton found that “troop, squadron and task group commanders bear moral command responsibility and accountability for what happened under their command and control”.

It is from this group of officers that the medals were stripped. We don’t know precisely who, what ranks they held or what roles they played in the alleged war crimes. The Government won’t disclose that information, citing privacy obligations.

But we do know that former Defence Force chief Angus Campbell is not among them.

As Commander of Joint Task Force 633, General Campbell bore ultimate responsibility for Australia’s Middle East operations in 2011.

However, the Brereton Report found that the buck stopped beneath the top brass.

“That responsibility and accountability does not extend to higher headquarters, including in particular Headquarters Joint Task Force 633 and Headquarters Joint Operations Command, because they did not have a sufficient degree of command and control to attract the principle of command responsibility, and within the constraints on their authority acted appropriately when relevant information and allegations came to their attention to ascertain the facts,” the report said.

That pronouncement has done little to placate those who believe that ultimate accountability must rest at the very top of the chain of command.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Mr Marles of throwing “lower-ranked Diggers under the bus” while top brass ducked for cover.

Australian Special Air Services Association chairman Martin Hamilton-Smith said Mr Marles had “spat at the feet” of all Diggers who served in Afghanistan, pointing out that no Australian has been found guilty of a crime.

“To do this, to punish these people before the matters have been taken to a criminal court to establish truth, is wrong,” he said.

The insult is compounded by the timing — just days after the final report of the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide was handed down.

That report showed a deep disconnect between the top brass and those on the ground, putting their lives on the line for their country. In the course of that inquiry, commanders, including General Campbell, admitted they had failed to do right by Diggers, but pledged to do better in the future.

Stripping the medals of those in battle, while avoiding accountability for those at the top of the chain gives little hope of that happening.