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☆ Australian War Hero Appeals Defamation Ruling on Reports He Was Complicit in Afghan Unlawful Killings
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Lewis JacksonSYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian court on Monday began hearing the appeal of a decorated war hero, who is fighting a court defamation ruling that found media groups had proven their reports he played a part in the unlawful killings of four Afghans in Afghanistan. He called the reports false and based on claims of failed soldiers who were jealous of his accolades, and sought unspecified damages. The civil court defamation finding required a lower threshold of proof than a criminal court would. Roberts-Smith, 45, whose portrait hangs in the Australian War Memorial, has not been charged with any crimes. The lengthy legal battle has racked up huge costs for Roberts-Smith and his financial backer, Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes.

Persons: Lewis Jackson SYDNEY, Ben Roberts, Smith, Roberts, Kerry Stokes, Stokes, Lewis Jackson, Alasdair Pal, Michael Perry Organizations: Former SAS, Victoria Cross, Nine Entertainment, Australian, Roberts, Seven West Media, Sydney Morning Herald Locations: Afghanistan

☆ Australia war hero appeals court ruling of complicity in Afghan murders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

But a Federal Court judge ruled on June 1 that the newspapers had proven most of their allegations. read moreRoberts-Smith filed an appeal on July 11, the court said in a website post, without providing any further details. "We believe the Federal Court's judgment is comprehensive and categorical," Chessell said in a statement." "It's a terrible outcome and it's the incorrect outcome," he was quoted telling Nine's television arm. "We will look at (the judgement) and consider whether or not we need to file an appeal," he said at the time.

Persons: Ben Roberts, Smith, Roberts, James Chessell, Chessell, Byron Kaye, Robert Birsel Organizations: SYDNEY, SAS, Victoria Cross, Nine Entertainment, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan

☆ Former Australian SAS veteran loses defamation case over reports of Afghan execution
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The ruling marks a win for media outlets seeking greater accountability for Australia's military, typically bound by confidentiality. A 2020 report found credible evidence that members of Australia's Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) killed dozens of unarmed prisoners in the lengthy Afghan war. Roberts-Smith sued the papers for portraying him as someone who "broke the moral and legal rules of military engagement". The papers had reported that Roberts-Smith pressured a lower-ranking Australian soldier to execute an elderly, unarmed Afghan to "blood the rookie", said Judge Besanko, adding they proved that account true. "This case is an important reminder that we need courageous public interest journalism to help us get there."

Persons: Ben Roberts, Smith, Anthony Besanko, Roberts, Judge Besanko, James Chessell, Chessell, Arthur Moses, Besanko, inadvertentely, Fiona Nelson, Byron Kaye, Shri Navaratnam, Michael Perry Organizations: SYDNEY, SAS, Australia's Special Air Service Regiment, China, Victoria Cross, Australian, Sydney Morning Herald, Canberra Times, Nine Entertainment Co, Australian Centre for International, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Afghanistan, Afghan, Australian, Australia

☆ Australia's most decorated soldier loses multiple defamation claims against media who alleged war crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In some cases, he found the papers established contextual truth, which is also a defense under Australia’s Defamation Act. “Today is a day of some small justice for the Afghan victims of Ben Roberts-Smith,” said McKenzie. Ali Jan was a husband … He was kicked off a cliff by Ben Roberts-Smith, and he was murdered with Ben Roberts-Smith’s participation. Claims of violent acts committed by elite troops were echoed in the Brereton Report, a four-year investigation into the alleged war crimes in Afghanistan released in November 2020. The responsibility for these atrocities does not end with Ben Roberts-Smith,” he said.

Persons: Australia CNN —, solider, –, Anthony Besanko, Besanko, Ben Roberts, Smith, Roberts, ”, James Chessell, newsrooms, ” Chessell, Peter Bartlett, MinterEllison, “, Nick McKenzie, Chris Masters, McKenzie, “ Ali Jan, Ali Jan, …, ” Besanko, Angus Campbell, Campbell “, unreservedly ”, It’s Organizations: Australia CNN, Federal Court, Sydney Morning Herald, Canberra Times, Australia’s, Cross, SAS, Nine, CNN, Australian, Australian Defence Force Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Afghanistan, Bali , Indonesia, Sydney, “

☆ Special-ops units from Down Under made their mark with US commandos in Vietnam. They may have to do it again against China.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

During the Vietnam War, US troops were supported by forces from several allied countries. The role of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and the New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) was especially notable. From 1966 to 1971, these two special-operations units deployed a small number of commandos to support conventional forces in Vietnam. Gradually, however, they shifted to a more aggressive stance and started going after high-value North Vietnamese and Viet Cong targets in ambushes and direct-action operations. Special operators from the two countries had fought with the British against Communist insurgents in Malaya and Borneo.

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