Australian Officers Knew of Staged Scenes to Conceal Afghan Killings, Report Finds

DID Press: A new military inquiry has found that Australian special forces officers knew weapons were being placed beside the bodies of Afghan civilians to portray them as enemy fighters, but failed to intervene to stop the practice, The Guardian reported.

The inquiry, commissioned in 2021 by former Australian Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell, exposed what it described as a “collapse of command” and serious weaknesses in military discipline during Australian special forces operations in Afghanistan.

According to the report, the practice known as “staging”—placing weapons beside victims to falsify their identities—was widely known within the special forces. However, officers who were aware of the practice failed to take effective action to investigate or stop it. The report said this silence contributed to the normalization of misconduct and strengthened a sense of impunity among personnel.

Mark Hammond, Chief of the Australian Defence Force, described the conduct as “completely unacceptable” and acknowledged serious failures within the command structure. However, he said accountability measures had been completed and that no further prosecutions or disciplinary action would be taken against senior commanders.

The findings follow the 2020 Brereton Report, which found credible information indicating the unlawful killing of 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners across 23 incidents.

The latest inquiry extends the focus of responsibility beyond soldiers and their immediate commanders to higher levels of military leadership, renewing questions about accountability for the Afghan victims.