SAS soldiers ‘turned blind eye’ to war crimes, Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial told | MWhitbourn
On Tuesday, the newspapers’ barrister, Nicholas Owens, SC, focused on one of the media outlets’ centrepiece allegations: that Roberts-Smith was involved in the murder of two Afghan prisoners during an SAS mission on Easter Sunday, 2009.The newspapers allege two Afghan men were pulled from a tunnel on that day in a compound dubbed Whiskey 108 and taken prisoner.
“There’s no doubt about the fact that the men were killed,” Owens said. “The only debate is about the circumstances in which they were killed.” Owens said Person 41’s explanation was plausible and consistent with him being a truthful witness. He submitted Besanko would find there was “clearly a culture of silence within the SAS”.
Owens told Besanko on Monday that the court faces “a stark choice between effectively irreconcilable accounts” of alleged events in Afghanistan. While the newspapers bore the onus of establishing alleged war crimes occurred on the balance of probabilities, Owens said Besanko was effectively being asked to decide “who is lying” in the case.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Media out to ruin Ben Roberts-Smith, court toldA judge has been told Ben Roberts-Smith's reputation as an exceptional, decent and courageous soldier was destroyed by a media campaign alleging he was a war criminal. 9News
Read more »
‘I’ve denied it for years, but Taylor Swift really can write’: Ben Bailey Smith’s honest playlistThe actor and standup – AKA Doc Brown – cracks out Bowie at parties and wants the Beatles played at his funeral. But what does he unleash at karaoke?
Read more »
‘Part of me wants to hide’: Dutch director traces great-grandfather’s Nazi war crimesHis Name is My Name recounts Eline Jongsma’s efforts to trace the life and crimes of a Nazi collaborator in the Netherlands
Read more »
Rebel LIV tour and golf’s civil war overshadowed everything at the Open | Ewan MurrayThe schism in world golf is the all-consuming storyline, with all eyes now turning to Augusta and the 2023 Masters
Read more »
Eye-watering amount 'cashed up bogan' Smith has wonCameron Smith may be a 'bogan from Queensland', but the Aussie larrikin is raking in serious money from golf. PGATour TheOpen
Read more »
Inside the Ukraine war crimes investigation, Part 4: the destructionRussian aerial attacks have destroyed large parts of Ukraine. Investigators say the damage will be used in a war crimes prosecution.
Read more »