AFGHANISTAN: Diggers cleared over Afghan civilian deaths
Posted by warvictims on May 12, 2008
Diggers cleared over Afghan civilian deaths
ABC Premium News (Australia)
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has cleared Australian troops of any wrong-doing over the deaths of a woman and a baby during a battle in Afghanistan last year.
The civilians were killed during an incident which also led to the death of Australian soldier Private Luke Worsley in late November last year.
In the aftermath of his death, there were allegations of mistreatment of Afghan detainees by Australian troops, as well as civilian casualties.
ADF vice chief Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie says an internal investigation has cleared Australian soldiers after finding no evidence that they had breached their rules of engagement.
Lt Gen Gillespie says troops killed one woman who was firing an AK-47. A second woman and a baby also died.
“We haven’t found anything untoward in the actions of our soldiers in these circumstances,” he said.
“The investigations into the first three combat deaths and this incident indicate that our procedures and conduct of our people is as we would hope as a nation they might be.”
The inquiry found that the deaths took place after Taliban fighters engaged an Australian Special Operations force from within a compound the Taliban knew to be occupied by civilians.
The inquiry also cleared Australian troops over allegations that civilians were mistreated during the same operation.
Separate inquiries into the deaths of Private Worsley, Trooper David Pearce and Sergeant Matthew Locke also found nothing could have been done to prevent their deaths.
Trooper Pearce and Sergeant Locke both died in October 2007.
