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Rogue Forces
Winner of the 2022 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Non-fiction.
Shortlisted for NSW Premier's Literary Award's Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-fiction.
Longlisted for the Australian Political Book of the Year Award.
Rogue Forces is the explosive first insiders’ story of how some of Australia’s revered SAS soldiers crossed the line in Afghanistan, descending from elite warriors to unlawful killers.
Mark Willacy, who won a Gold Walkley for exposing SAS war crimes, has penetrated the SAS code of silence to reveal one of the darkest chapters in our country’s military history.
Willacy’s devastating award-winning Four Corners program, ‘Killing Fields’ captured on film for the first time a war crime perpetrated by an Australian: the killing of a terrified, unarmed Afghan man in a field by an SAS soldier. It caused shockwaves around the world and resulted in an Australian Federal Police war crimes investigation. It also sparked a new line of investigation by the Brereton inquiry, the independent Australian Defence Force inquiry into war crimes in Afghanistan. It was a game changer.
But for Willacy, it was just the beginning of a much bigger story. More SAS soldiers came forward with undeniable evidence and eyewitness testimony of other unlawful killings, and exposed a culture of brutality and impunity.
Rogue Forces takes you out on the patrols where the killings happened. The result is a gripping character-driven story that embeds you on the front line in the thick of the action as those soldiers share for the first time what they witnessed. Willacy also confronts those accused about their sides of the story.
At its heart, Rogue Forces is a story about the true heroes who had the courage to come forward and expose the truth.
This is their story. A story that had to be told.
'[T]his brilliant and courageous book should be required reading for anyone seeking to paint our most recent military adventure as morally unambiguous. As Willacy shows, the “moral injury” sustained by many veterans was often a case of friendly fire.’ The Australian
Shortlisted for NSW Premier's Literary Award's Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-fiction.
Longlisted for the Australian Political Book of the Year Award.
Rogue Forces is the explosive first insiders’ story of how some of Australia’s revered SAS soldiers crossed the line in Afghanistan, descending from elite warriors to unlawful killers.
Mark Willacy, who won a Gold Walkley for exposing SAS war crimes, has penetrated the SAS code of silence to reveal one of the darkest chapters in our country’s military history.
Willacy’s devastating award-winning Four Corners program, ‘Killing Fields’ captured on film for the first time a war crime perpetrated by an Australian: the killing of a terrified, unarmed Afghan man in a field by an SAS soldier. It caused shockwaves around the world and resulted in an Australian Federal Police war crimes investigation. It also sparked a new line of investigation by the Brereton inquiry, the independent Australian Defence Force inquiry into war crimes in Afghanistan. It was a game changer.
But for Willacy, it was just the beginning of a much bigger story. More SAS soldiers came forward with undeniable evidence and eyewitness testimony of other unlawful killings, and exposed a culture of brutality and impunity.
Rogue Forces takes you out on the patrols where the killings happened. The result is a gripping character-driven story that embeds you on the front line in the thick of the action as those soldiers share for the first time what they witnessed. Willacy also confronts those accused about their sides of the story.
At its heart, Rogue Forces is a story about the true heroes who had the courage to come forward and expose the truth.
This is their story. A story that had to be told.
'[T]his brilliant and courageous book should be required reading for anyone seeking to paint our most recent military adventure as morally unambiguous. As Willacy shows, the “moral injury” sustained by many veterans was often a case of friendly fire.’ The Australian
416 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
54 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 22, 2021
This book is well written, impeccably researched and tells a story that is as compelling as it is gut-wrenching.
So it isn't always easy to read. But I'm very glad I did.
Cutting through the myth of the Aussie soldier — particularly the god-like status for so long granted to Australia's Special Forces — has come at a serious cost to the author and to the nation.
But in so doing, Mark Willacy has ultimately done his country and its people a great service.
There have been many who have railed against Willacy for what he's written here, but they are invariably critics who have not taken the time to read this book.
It is a remarkably empathetic view of some darkly flawed individuals and the circumstances that combined to leave them so damaged.
The Australian Defence Force needs to take a long, hard look at itself in regard to what it asked of the SAS in Afghanistan. Too many lives have been destroyed and too many people let it happen for too long.
So it isn't always easy to read. But I'm very glad I did.
Cutting through the myth of the Aussie soldier — particularly the god-like status for so long granted to Australia's Special Forces — has come at a serious cost to the author and to the nation.
But in so doing, Mark Willacy has ultimately done his country and its people a great service.
There have been many who have railed against Willacy for what he's written here, but they are invariably critics who have not taken the time to read this book.
It is a remarkably empathetic view of some darkly flawed individuals and the circumstances that combined to leave them so damaged.
The Australian Defence Force needs to take a long, hard look at itself in regard to what it asked of the SAS in Afghanistan. Too many lives have been destroyed and too many people let it happen for too long.
September 18, 2021
This is a difficult book to read, not because it is written poorly, quite the contrary ‘Rogue Forces’ is a very well written book. It is difficult to read because of the subject matter. Even so I couldn’t put it down.
For many Australians the SASR are a military unit that we are in awe of. and is placed up on the highest of pedestals. To read this book and to understand how many, but certainly not all, of these elite soldiers behaved in Afghanistan, whilst representing our country comes as a huge shock to us. We expect this behaviour i.e., offences against International Humanitarian Law, from dictatorships. Developing countries, and Criminal cartels, but not from our best trained and allegedly highly disciplined special forces.
Author Mark Willacy introduces us to the SASR, the soldiers and then he shows us what their role is Afghanistan is. He demonstrates through interviews with direct witnesses how these soldiers’ moral compasses become completely lost.
A grinding war, too many rotations, a failed strategy, very poor if not absent leadership, leads to a breakdown of discipline and ultimately to the commission of many War Crimes – including Murder. There is no one willing to hold these men to account and as Willacy says there is a very strong analogy with Lord of the Flies.
Willacy doesn’t just describe what happened, but he demonstrates why it happened. The fallout of these alleged crimes has been the Brereton report and now the referral to the AFP for investigation and possible prosecutions. Willacy shows the events behind the Brereton Report in the soldier’s own words.
As a retired war crime investigator, the stories I read in Rogue Forces were eerily familiar to many cases I investigated and prosecuted, but those were in countries where the military didn’t have the leadership and standards of the ADF, or so I thought.
Rogue Forces should be compulsory reading for every member of the ADF in particular to those in the Officer stream because it is their responsibility to show the leadership and the physical and moral courage to prevent these crimes being committed.
Some members of the public have been outraged at Willacy and other brave journalists have allegedly besmirched their good name of our elite and brave soldiers. I challenge them to read this book, as I believe it will change their view.
Reading this book will make you angry sad outraged but ultimately with some hope for the future as there were (thankfully) some within the ranks of the Special Forces who were brave or outraged enough to break the code of silence and speak out. ,
Willacy has clearly an ability to make these witnesses comfortable enough to open up and confide in him so he can tell the story from an eyewitness almost forensic perspective. There has been criticism of Willacy for exposing the way these elite soldiers spent their down time heavy drinking etc, but it is obvious that it has been included not because of a gratuitous critique of their social life, but that their off- duty behaviour is emblematic of the derailment of their moral and ethical judgement- and the failure of the chain of command to identify these failings and bring them back into line.
My only criticism is that I would have liked Willacy to have explored the specific culpability of the Special Operations Task Group leadership more, and the command of the ADF in general in relation to command and superior responsibility of these crimes, but perhaps that just the war crime investigator in me. Of course, there is only so much space in one book. Perhaps the authorities will read this book and explore these issues.
I can’t recommend ‘Rogue Forces’ enough. though it will be a confronting experience.
Declaration: I have previously investigated War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity for the United Nations in several countries including Afghanistan. I have studied International Humanitarian Law (University of Oxford) I have previously worked with the Afghan International Human Rights Commission; I have previously worked with members of the Australian SASR, and US Special Forces. I have served in Afghanistan 2009, 2011/12. I have worked in several War Zones, and I was critically wounded in Afghanistan in 2012
For many Australians the SASR are a military unit that we are in awe of. and is placed up on the highest of pedestals. To read this book and to understand how many, but certainly not all, of these elite soldiers behaved in Afghanistan, whilst representing our country comes as a huge shock to us. We expect this behaviour i.e., offences against International Humanitarian Law, from dictatorships. Developing countries, and Criminal cartels, but not from our best trained and allegedly highly disciplined special forces.
Author Mark Willacy introduces us to the SASR, the soldiers and then he shows us what their role is Afghanistan is. He demonstrates through interviews with direct witnesses how these soldiers’ moral compasses become completely lost.
A grinding war, too many rotations, a failed strategy, very poor if not absent leadership, leads to a breakdown of discipline and ultimately to the commission of many War Crimes – including Murder. There is no one willing to hold these men to account and as Willacy says there is a very strong analogy with Lord of the Flies.
Willacy doesn’t just describe what happened, but he demonstrates why it happened. The fallout of these alleged crimes has been the Brereton report and now the referral to the AFP for investigation and possible prosecutions. Willacy shows the events behind the Brereton Report in the soldier’s own words.
As a retired war crime investigator, the stories I read in Rogue Forces were eerily familiar to many cases I investigated and prosecuted, but those were in countries where the military didn’t have the leadership and standards of the ADF, or so I thought.
Rogue Forces should be compulsory reading for every member of the ADF in particular to those in the Officer stream because it is their responsibility to show the leadership and the physical and moral courage to prevent these crimes being committed.
Some members of the public have been outraged at Willacy and other brave journalists have allegedly besmirched their good name of our elite and brave soldiers. I challenge them to read this book, as I believe it will change their view.
Reading this book will make you angry sad outraged but ultimately with some hope for the future as there were (thankfully) some within the ranks of the Special Forces who were brave or outraged enough to break the code of silence and speak out. ,
Willacy has clearly an ability to make these witnesses comfortable enough to open up and confide in him so he can tell the story from an eyewitness almost forensic perspective. There has been criticism of Willacy for exposing the way these elite soldiers spent their down time heavy drinking etc, but it is obvious that it has been included not because of a gratuitous critique of their social life, but that their off- duty behaviour is emblematic of the derailment of their moral and ethical judgement- and the failure of the chain of command to identify these failings and bring them back into line.
My only criticism is that I would have liked Willacy to have explored the specific culpability of the Special Operations Task Group leadership more, and the command of the ADF in general in relation to command and superior responsibility of these crimes, but perhaps that just the war crime investigator in me. Of course, there is only so much space in one book. Perhaps the authorities will read this book and explore these issues.
I can’t recommend ‘Rogue Forces’ enough. though it will be a confronting experience.
Declaration: I have previously investigated War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity for the United Nations in several countries including Afghanistan. I have studied International Humanitarian Law (University of Oxford) I have previously worked with the Afghan International Human Rights Commission; I have previously worked with members of the Australian SASR, and US Special Forces. I have served in Afghanistan 2009, 2011/12. I have worked in several War Zones, and I was critically wounded in Afghanistan in 2012
September 1, 2021
This is a remarkable book and an extraordinary feat of journalism. Willacy tells a disturbing story of how even the bravest soldiers can lose their moral compass once military discipline and leadership beaks down. Yet, as another reviewer remarked, it's also surprisingly sympathetic. The heroes, Willacy argues, are the front line soldiers who decided to speak out against what they saw as a toxic culture.
Read
October 1, 2021Rogue Forces by Mark Willacy
Synopsis /
Rogue Forces is the explosive first insiders’ story of how some of Australia’s revered SAS soldiers crossed the line in Afghanistan, descending from elite warriors to unlawful killers.
My Thoughts /
Some have said that this was a story that had to be told.
In 2020, ABC journalist, Mark Willacy won a Gold Walkley award for a Four Corners investigation – ‘Killing Field’, which investigated and detailed alleged atrocities, suspected cover-ups and deep cultural problems within Australia’s Special Forces while based in Afghanistan. The most shocking revelation was the unprovoked shooting in March of 2012 of a disabled Afghan civilian by a group of soldiers, all of which is captured on video footage from a nearby soldier’s helmet cam.
Written by investigative journalist, Mark Willacy, Rogue Forces reveals previously unknown details of alleged war crimes committed by elite soldiers in the Australian Defence Force.
In an interview with ‘Guardian Australia’ on the eve of the book’s publication, Mark Willacy said he had spoken with dozens of veterans as part of his research. Further, he praised “the good people of the SAS” who had “the guts to stand up and call out the bad stuff”.
“These are soldiers who want the Regiment’s honour, its prestige, its reputation restored”.
According to soldiers interviewed by Willacy, assault rifle magazines were ‘planted’ on the bodies of dead Afghan insurgents, so photos could be taken indicating that the man had been a ‘combatant’ and thus would be deemed a lawful killing. In other alleged incidents detailed in the book, another member of the special forces reportedly said they had been ordered to destroy [disturbing] video footage of a commando shooting an Afghan (who appeared to be dead), something which that soldier had warned a superior may constitute a war crime.
All told, this was a very difficult book to read – not for how it was written – purely because of its subject matter.
After reading this book, I watched the Four Corners Report (‘Killing Field”) which aired in March of 2020. It went for approximately 40 odd minutes. I felt like I was holding my breath for the entire time. There is very disturbing footage.
I’m now struggling with my own inner self. What’s real? What’s not? How much do I believe? Do I take things as written at face value? The whole book after all is just a third party account of someone else’s recollection. Yes, there is confronting video evidence that some of the incidents described in the book did take place. Yes, there is incriminating photographic evidences. Do I tarnish the thousands because of a few? I am glad to have had the opportunity to read this book and yes, watch the corresponding news report. I want to live in this World with my eyes open. I want to live in a World where it is a privilege to be given all the information and to be able to make a reasoned, well thought out and educated decision on where I stand after processing everything I’ve seen and heard. Make no mistake – I am not passing judgment on anyone for anything that was written in this book. I was not there, I have not had the same experiences or exposures as these soldiers. My moral code is just that. It’s mine. Not yours. Not theirs. Just mine alone. I wish that war and conflict and hostility were not words in our vocabulary and that people truly tried in earnest to work out their differences peacefully. You only have to look back in history to know that peace will not be the outcome every time. War is and, I hesitate to say, will always be a less than honourable place. I pray that we can all work together so they are very few and far between.
I have decided that I’m not going to give a rating to this book. The book is so multi-faceted – I don’t think I could give a rating that reflects how I really feel. However, I can tell you that the writing flows well. Mr Willacy is very articulate and well researched in the subject matter. The chapters are (relatively) short. Each chapter is the beginning of another ‘experience’. And, (maybe?) importantly, it’s not all doom and gloom.
Synopsis /
Rogue Forces is the explosive first insiders’ story of how some of Australia’s revered SAS soldiers crossed the line in Afghanistan, descending from elite warriors to unlawful killers.
My Thoughts /
Some have said that this was a story that had to be told.
In 2020, ABC journalist, Mark Willacy won a Gold Walkley award for a Four Corners investigation – ‘Killing Field’, which investigated and detailed alleged atrocities, suspected cover-ups and deep cultural problems within Australia’s Special Forces while based in Afghanistan. The most shocking revelation was the unprovoked shooting in March of 2012 of a disabled Afghan civilian by a group of soldiers, all of which is captured on video footage from a nearby soldier’s helmet cam.
Written by investigative journalist, Mark Willacy, Rogue Forces reveals previously unknown details of alleged war crimes committed by elite soldiers in the Australian Defence Force.
In an interview with ‘Guardian Australia’ on the eve of the book’s publication, Mark Willacy said he had spoken with dozens of veterans as part of his research. Further, he praised “the good people of the SAS” who had “the guts to stand up and call out the bad stuff”.
“These are soldiers who want the Regiment’s honour, its prestige, its reputation restored”.
According to soldiers interviewed by Willacy, assault rifle magazines were ‘planted’ on the bodies of dead Afghan insurgents, so photos could be taken indicating that the man had been a ‘combatant’ and thus would be deemed a lawful killing. In other alleged incidents detailed in the book, another member of the special forces reportedly said they had been ordered to destroy [disturbing] video footage of a commando shooting an Afghan (who appeared to be dead), something which that soldier had warned a superior may constitute a war crime.
All told, this was a very difficult book to read – not for how it was written – purely because of its subject matter.
After reading this book, I watched the Four Corners Report (‘Killing Field”) which aired in March of 2020. It went for approximately 40 odd minutes. I felt like I was holding my breath for the entire time. There is very disturbing footage.
I’m now struggling with my own inner self. What’s real? What’s not? How much do I believe? Do I take things as written at face value? The whole book after all is just a third party account of someone else’s recollection. Yes, there is confronting video evidence that some of the incidents described in the book did take place. Yes, there is incriminating photographic evidences. Do I tarnish the thousands because of a few? I am glad to have had the opportunity to read this book and yes, watch the corresponding news report. I want to live in this World with my eyes open. I want to live in a World where it is a privilege to be given all the information and to be able to make a reasoned, well thought out and educated decision on where I stand after processing everything I’ve seen and heard. Make no mistake – I am not passing judgment on anyone for anything that was written in this book. I was not there, I have not had the same experiences or exposures as these soldiers. My moral code is just that. It’s mine. Not yours. Not theirs. Just mine alone. I wish that war and conflict and hostility were not words in our vocabulary and that people truly tried in earnest to work out their differences peacefully. You only have to look back in history to know that peace will not be the outcome every time. War is and, I hesitate to say, will always be a less than honourable place. I pray that we can all work together so they are very few and far between.
I have decided that I’m not going to give a rating to this book. The book is so multi-faceted – I don’t think I could give a rating that reflects how I really feel. However, I can tell you that the writing flows well. Mr Willacy is very articulate and well researched in the subject matter. The chapters are (relatively) short. Each chapter is the beginning of another ‘experience’. And, (maybe?) importantly, it’s not all doom and gloom.
September 7, 2021
Mark Willacy obviously has an axe to grind with the SAS. He rehashes the same 'stories' relating to 3 operators over and over again throughout the book. Not once does he acknowledge the good that our special forces have done over the last 20 years in Afghanistan. He obviously does not believe in the concept of 'innocent until proven guilty.' His knowledge of the SAS is so lacking that he paints all of the people in the book as SAS. Only the operators are SAS, the others in the book are merely attached to the unit.
Remember also that the IGADF investigation was only to see if there was enough evidence to recommend further investigation. Nobody has been found guilty of any offence and 13 of the SAS operators who were given Notice to Show Cause has since had those withdrawn. I believe the book is simply trying to cash in on sensational, unproven claims. Regret buying it and adding to his wealth.
Remember also that the IGADF investigation was only to see if there was enough evidence to recommend further investigation. Nobody has been found guilty of any offence and 13 of the SAS operators who were given Notice to Show Cause has since had those withdrawn. I believe the book is simply trying to cash in on sensational, unproven claims. Regret buying it and adding to his wealth.
September 16, 2021
This is the lowest of the low and cannot believe this man can make money of such out and out bulls@@t. You are a disgrace. The best thing that could happen is that you are taken to court for publishing lies.
October 26, 2021
Great investigative journalism by Willacy. No wonder he won the Gold Walkerly for alleged war crimes by the Australian SAS forces. Thanks to the brave soldiers who had enough courage to come forward to tell their stories
August 22, 2021
A pretty infuriating read. How our soldiers have gotten away with murder whilst forming a protection racket is nothing short of disgusting. I'm glad some of the soldiers broke their silence and I hope some justice gets served but it seems the poor Afghans will never get justice.
October 2, 2021
'Rogue Forces' is a confronting, painful document. In an era when we are at last acknowledging the devastating impact of PTSD to people who have experienced trauma, it is a blow to be given examples of it in members of the elite SAS group - the 'bravest of the brave' - caused not by the participation in legitimate combat, but in finding themselves belonging to an organization that has been bastardized by a cabal of ruthless bullies, so systematically entrenched that soldiers on the ground openly disregarded the rules of warfare to the extent that they deliberately took 'throwdown' weapons into conflict to plant on murdered civilians and executed prisoners. That the command structure not only turned a blind eye to this, but allowed or facilitated the covering up of these crimes and the persecution of those who attempted to speak out about the atrocities committed by certain troops, is chilling. Willacy's painstaking research and documentation is based on the testimony of soldiers caught up in a culture of toxic masculinity, intimidation and disregard for human life, despite the threats and attacks they endured for coming forward. These are the soldiers whose lives have been left in ruin because of the guilt and shame they feel at having been forced to participate in the commission and cover-up of an endless litany of war crimes. Their thanks? To be hounded and ostracized to the point of suicide - "kill yourself" being the directive to one member, actually spelled out on a public whiteboard of daily tasks.
If, like me, you have read the many heroic accounts of Australians in warfare, and have bought into the ANZAC mythology, you owe it to yourself to not close your eyes to this truth. It is not merely an account of 'shit happens in war': it is a crushing exposure of systematic, entrenched brutality and moral corruption, and its effect on the many, many victims, including those who understood that what was happening was terribly wrong.
If, like me, you have read the many heroic accounts of Australians in warfare, and have bought into the ANZAC mythology, you owe it to yourself to not close your eyes to this truth. It is not merely an account of 'shit happens in war': it is a crushing exposure of systematic, entrenched brutality and moral corruption, and its effect on the many, many victims, including those who understood that what was happening was terribly wrong.
September 29, 2021
4.5 stars. Mark Willacy takes a deeeeep dive way past his "Killing Fields" exposé on 4 corners. It is incredible that he has managed to breach such a secretive and proud organisation in the SAS and win the trust of several key witnesses to help him uncover the systemic and deliberate commission and cover up war crimes, alcohol- and testosterone-fuelled controversies off the battle field (eg the prosthetic shoey), and a toxic culture of bullying, hazing, sexism, rigid hierarchy and arrogance bordering on narcisissm amongst the SAS. His interviews with past soldiers also broaches how they have fared after leaving Afghanistan and the SAS, which sadly paint a picture of shunning from their peers, rampant PTSD and a struggle to reintigrate into society that have left them all permanently scarred, physically and mentally. Definitely takes the shine off the ANZAC aura that we are brainwashed with
September 4, 2021
Brilliant book and amazing journalism. I could not wait to read this and it exceeded all of my expectations. It is an enthralling and unbiased recount of what special forces have done in Afghanistan and I will definitely be recommending it to friends.
February 17, 2023
I found this book upsetting, which is both a good thing and a surprising one. It isn't as if my usual reading is light. And there aren't new revelations beyond what has been extensively covered in the media. The story gets almost unbearable I think, because Willacy chooses to tell this story through the eyes of those who eventually spoke out. This achieves two very effective, interconnected things. Firstly, it demonstrates the impossible military web that facilitates these most pointlessly cruel war crimes. Secondly, Willacy slowly builds through the story the depth of "moral injury" that these young people suffered due to their complicity, even as they recognise their helplessness. Willacy also interviewed the Afghan survivors and the relatives of those who didn't, and he also chooses to include gorgeous portraits of the murdered, and the survived at the end. Still, the book focuses on the story of Australians in Afghanistan and how a climate of crime was nurtured.
Willacy is at pains to say he believes the whistleblowers embody the kind of spirit that the SAS should have. Still, the story he tells is one In which the SAS embodies something closer to evil: a unit so feted and untouchable it is untethered to morality at all. Like corrupt police, this unit are so convinced of their necessity and superiority that anything they feel like doing can be justified. The rules, to their minds, are for those who don't run into death every day, those who don't kill. Willacy describes a culture of drinking so strong intubation to recover from alcohol poisoning is routine, where bullying is the only response to conflict - even if the targets are officers - and where contempt for the people whose country you are in is mandatory.
Out in the field, violence relieves stress and provides entertainment. Dogs encouraged to eat human flesh, regularly bite and maul civilians, which must often end up deadly in a society bereft of antibiotics. Training in the SAS is brutal, ostensibly to ensure they can endure enemy torture, but the tactics also work to strip someone's sense of morality and replace it with group loyalty, all while inculcating a sense of untouchable superiority.
And all of this is okay because these men truly believe what they do is necessary. But what Willacy never directly explores, but is palpable, is how the war itself is part of the problem. In the military, everyone has narrow and defined responsibilities. Some officers collect intelligence, others analyse it, others draw conclusions from that, then yet others put together "objective files", and then operatives kill them and take pictures, which are analysed and the whole cycle starts again. No-one has enough of the picture to have the opportunity to assess if this is making anything better - although some certainly wonder. But no soldier sees enough of the picture to challenge this cycle of violence meaningfully. Willacy certainly finds that the relatives of civilians murdered join the Taliban for revenge, but even a number of the "legitimate" targets seem of dubious need to kill. And the killing begets more killing. The SAS make friends with tactically advantageous warlords, who have their own reign of terror. Willacy does point to the increasing nervousness about the SAS as a point of handover approach when it becomes more evident that the violence is making things worse. You do have to wonder if this is why there is suddenly more temperature for criticism of the regiment. It is, many people tell Willacy, impossible to believe that the brass were unaware that a group of men who use their annual awards for bullying, and have jokes designed to dehumanise Afghans and Iraqis, might not be following the rules of engagement.
But the heart of the book is not the worst perpetrators. It is those who chose to speak out, who tried - often in the smallest of ways - to change what was going on. I think this book is upsetting because it is so destructive of the myth that one good person is enough to stem a tide. Here the good people are powerless, and indoctrinated into this world of dehumanisation, often doing unthinkable things themselves, like playing jokes with people's body parts. But within this world, they did recognise wrongs. They did report murder; they did refuse to join the party; they did attempt amends. It will, for most of them, never be enough to obliterate the distress of having been there. This may not be a tale of heroic superpowers, but it is about how decent ordinary people can hang on to that decency - our job now is to make systems that support that, not obliterate it.
Willacy is at pains to say he believes the whistleblowers embody the kind of spirit that the SAS should have. Still, the story he tells is one In which the SAS embodies something closer to evil: a unit so feted and untouchable it is untethered to morality at all. Like corrupt police, this unit are so convinced of their necessity and superiority that anything they feel like doing can be justified. The rules, to their minds, are for those who don't run into death every day, those who don't kill. Willacy describes a culture of drinking so strong intubation to recover from alcohol poisoning is routine, where bullying is the only response to conflict - even if the targets are officers - and where contempt for the people whose country you are in is mandatory.
Out in the field, violence relieves stress and provides entertainment. Dogs encouraged to eat human flesh, regularly bite and maul civilians, which must often end up deadly in a society bereft of antibiotics. Training in the SAS is brutal, ostensibly to ensure they can endure enemy torture, but the tactics also work to strip someone's sense of morality and replace it with group loyalty, all while inculcating a sense of untouchable superiority.
And all of this is okay because these men truly believe what they do is necessary. But what Willacy never directly explores, but is palpable, is how the war itself is part of the problem. In the military, everyone has narrow and defined responsibilities. Some officers collect intelligence, others analyse it, others draw conclusions from that, then yet others put together "objective files", and then operatives kill them and take pictures, which are analysed and the whole cycle starts again. No-one has enough of the picture to have the opportunity to assess if this is making anything better - although some certainly wonder. But no soldier sees enough of the picture to challenge this cycle of violence meaningfully. Willacy certainly finds that the relatives of civilians murdered join the Taliban for revenge, but even a number of the "legitimate" targets seem of dubious need to kill. And the killing begets more killing. The SAS make friends with tactically advantageous warlords, who have their own reign of terror. Willacy does point to the increasing nervousness about the SAS as a point of handover approach when it becomes more evident that the violence is making things worse. You do have to wonder if this is why there is suddenly more temperature for criticism of the regiment. It is, many people tell Willacy, impossible to believe that the brass were unaware that a group of men who use their annual awards for bullying, and have jokes designed to dehumanise Afghans and Iraqis, might not be following the rules of engagement.
But the heart of the book is not the worst perpetrators. It is those who chose to speak out, who tried - often in the smallest of ways - to change what was going on. I think this book is upsetting because it is so destructive of the myth that one good person is enough to stem a tide. Here the good people are powerless, and indoctrinated into this world of dehumanisation, often doing unthinkable things themselves, like playing jokes with people's body parts. But within this world, they did recognise wrongs. They did report murder; they did refuse to join the party; they did attempt amends. It will, for most of them, never be enough to obliterate the distress of having been there. This may not be a tale of heroic superpowers, but it is about how decent ordinary people can hang on to that decency - our job now is to make systems that support that, not obliterate it.
October 29, 2021
This book will not only help honour the dead civilians of Afghanistan, it will save thousands more in the next war that could have died if these stories were never told. The true affect of Marks great work is unquantifiable.
Please keep doing what you do and remember the truth is all that matters.
Please keep doing what you do and remember the truth is all that matters.
June 21, 2022
This was not an easy read but one I needed to do just to try to understand what had happened in Afghanistan. No one understands unless you were there or have been in this type of conflict will really know why nor be able to judge. I cannot comprehend war nor the reason for war as I’ve never been directly involved or lived through one during my life.
Yes we judge snd yes we do not condone killing innocent people but this and other wars going on how can you tell who is the enemy and who is a civilian. There are no uniforms on the other sides they all wear the same but it still does not allow our elite forces to do what is reported in this book. I have met and spent time with Vietnam veterans with PTSD and they had talked to me about how they feel but never about what they’ve seen nor done. I’m not making any excuses about what has happened in this book but I do think we and myself are quick to judge what we do not know. There are “bad apples” in very society and every war. There are bullies from kindy right through to the work place and sadly if this type of person with this mentality gets into these forces it’s bound to carry onto the easy targets.
It’s a vicious circle in this war. Afghan people see their family being killed so they are meant to avenge their death as in one case. A young man whose family member was innocently killed is now a Major with the Taliban and so it goes on and on and festers like a disease! If you’re like I was and are sitting on the fence wondering if these war crimes happened … do read this then decide. After all unless you were there you never know the true story as in all history related books. Some said it’s all ‘here-say” but is it?
Yes we judge snd yes we do not condone killing innocent people but this and other wars going on how can you tell who is the enemy and who is a civilian. There are no uniforms on the other sides they all wear the same but it still does not allow our elite forces to do what is reported in this book. I have met and spent time with Vietnam veterans with PTSD and they had talked to me about how they feel but never about what they’ve seen nor done. I’m not making any excuses about what has happened in this book but I do think we and myself are quick to judge what we do not know. There are “bad apples” in very society and every war. There are bullies from kindy right through to the work place and sadly if this type of person with this mentality gets into these forces it’s bound to carry onto the easy targets.
It’s a vicious circle in this war. Afghan people see their family being killed so they are meant to avenge their death as in one case. A young man whose family member was innocently killed is now a Major with the Taliban and so it goes on and on and festers like a disease! If you’re like I was and are sitting on the fence wondering if these war crimes happened … do read this then decide. After all unless you were there you never know the true story as in all history related books. Some said it’s all ‘here-say” but is it?
May 24, 2023
There not really much I can say.
The writing was good, it was easy to read and the author done a great job of explaining what things meant and where incidents occur.
The subject matter was concerning, more so that it's still going on today, but realistically in the end, what can we, those if us at home reading this book actually say. You have people who get tested to show traits of the worst part of human nature, then you train those people to kill. It should be all that surprising when some of them actually enjoy it. Now under no circumstances am I saying what happened is ok and I think these people should be in gaol but I'm also not going to sit there and say that war doesn't lead to the sort of behaviour because it does. You can't train people who are already inclined to torture and kill to do exactly that and then get upset when they do it just not the way you want. I mean who really is showing signs of being detached here the people who are doing the wrong thing or the people who think they can control the people they train to do wrongs.
The writing was good, it was easy to read and the author done a great job of explaining what things meant and where incidents occur.
The subject matter was concerning, more so that it's still going on today, but realistically in the end, what can we, those if us at home reading this book actually say. You have people who get tested to show traits of the worst part of human nature, then you train those people to kill. It should be all that surprising when some of them actually enjoy it. Now under no circumstances am I saying what happened is ok and I think these people should be in gaol but I'm also not going to sit there and say that war doesn't lead to the sort of behaviour because it does. You can't train people who are already inclined to torture and kill to do exactly that and then get upset when they do it just not the way you want. I mean who really is showing signs of being detached here the people who are doing the wrong thing or the people who think they can control the people they train to do wrongs.
March 21, 2024
A well told account of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan ... well, at least the specific crimes committed by one unit of the SAS over 2012/13. The criminal act of Australian politicians of joining and continuing a despicable 20 year invasion is not dealt with here. The extent of the needless executions and mutilations came out mostly due to the decision of horrified military personnel to speak out despite the huge pressure they faced to stay silent. Feted as heroes, the SAS really became a playground for twisted psychos who got off from killing and torture.
November 16, 2022
Meticulously sourced, very readable, shocking stuff. Mark remains as deferential to the military and state as you would expect a journalist for Australian state media to be, but nevertheless this is a scathing indictment of Australian special forces in Afghanistan. The atrocities they committed are blood curdling and laid out in great detail here, mostly through testimony of soldiers who were present at events like entire extended families being executed to cover-up killings, murders of random civilians being later covered up by putting the victims names on kill/capture databases, and executing civilian children with knives on suspicion of those children being sympathetic to the taliban. This, plus members of this organisation flying Nazi war flags from their vehicles in Afghanistan, should give the Australian public cause for skepticism next time these killers are sent out in the name of whatever high-minded values politicians choose to deploy.
December 17, 2021
This book should not be sold. The Brereton report to which this book is based on is a thorough Investigation conducted by the AFP and ADF on the back of these allegations submitted by the author Mark Willacy. The investigation has turned out no substantial proof or evidence to substantiate any claims that Mark Willacy reported on. No one was charged, no findings of guilt, all 37 ADF staff that were accused have returned to work with no findings of guilt. Investigation over. In this book, Mark accuses a number of personell from the ADF of murders. Mark took it upon himself to write a book purely on the basis of heresay, and stories. Mark took it upon himself to play cop, judge, jury and prosecutor and ruin the lives of many ADF personell whilst the outcome of a formal investigation by the AFP returned nothing. Now, Mark is reaping sales from a book filled with pure defamation. This book should be taken off shelves, not sold. I am shocked and disgusted that someone can use their media influence to report on a topic that has no credible evidence to back up any accusations, at the same time whilst doing this ruing the lives of innocent ADF staff members and their families. Trying to discredit them, their work and their bravery. This is not journalism. This is not brave Reporting. This is pure defamation. Mark should be sued. If modern day journalism consists of publicly defaming people on the back of a few stories, no credible evidence, no charges, and then win an award and able to make money out of it.... then no wonder people all around the world are losing respect of mainstream media and so called journalists. Absolutely disgusting
December 30, 2022
Wow. What a book. What a story. I’m absolutely speechless. All I will say is I hope those that were negatively impacted by the actions of those criminals do find peace. I wish Dusty, Tom, Christina, Louise etc all the very best. You were let down by those people who were meant to be the best and I’m so sorry for that. Thank you for your service and I’m sorry it cost you so much.
July 12, 2023
Mark Willacy is a PoS.
November 13, 2021
Like millions, I watched the Four Corners Special Air Service (SAS) documentary and read articles about the “alleged” war crimes with shock and horror.
There are three soldiers that take center stage: Soldier A, Soldier B and Soldier C. Soldier B shocked me the most because it was clear he was a danger to all of those around him - his fellow soldiers, Afghan civilians, and even his family members.
Chapter 3 - titled Angela - horrified me. Angela was Soldier B’s live-in girlfriend/partner and Nick, the biological son of Angela, was Soldier’s B sort of step-son. They were subjected to intense physical and verbal abuse, culminating in a fight in which Soldier B assaulted Nick and Angela. Angela, while trying to defend her son, broke her finger in the fight and was nearly strangled to death by her partner. She managed to stick her fingers in his eyes, which caused him to release his grip, allowing her to escape and seek shelter.
When the police were called and Soldier B was separated from the two, Angela and Nick decided not to press charges, despite the police and magistrate wanting her to do so. When the three re-united, Soldier B played (and perhaps felt) contrite.
Because (I think) Angela was convinced that this “incident” would ruin Soldier B’s career and that Soldier B was needed on the deployment, she sticks with him. And while I cannot speak for her, I think she really did love him at the time and wanted to protect him and his career, in spite of everything.
However, Solider B, initially thankful for Angela and Nick sticking by him, quickly returned back to his old ways and abused the two up to and after his deployment.
Soldier B - despite once being described as a “key member,” one of 3 Squadron’s “most experienced operators,” and “almost impossible to replace” - is nothing more than a domestic abuser who was allowed to go to Afghanistan in a leadership position and basically do as he pleases. He is alleged to have tortured a man to death, attacked children and adults, shot a dog held by a child, and likely committed more war crimes. His fellow soldiers described his eyes rolling back like a shark. They were genuinely disgusted and afraid of him, but did little if anything to try to stop him.
Thankfully, when he returned from deployment Angela decided to end the toxic relationship. He wanted to have a birthday party (having returned from Afghanistan) and Angela, knowing “it is yet another excuse for a piss up” (basically a social gathering or full-blown party intentionally to get drunk) prepared the party. People are invited and for awhile, the party seemed to be going pretty well. Until…
Soldier B in many ways reminds me of Eddie Gallagher, a retired Navy SEAL who like Soldier B was an enlisted non-commissioned officer, was older than most of the men in his platoon, had a strong reputation for being experienced and excellent in the field, but also possessed many negative and dangerous traits. He had a massive ego, an explosive temper, and seems to have really enjoyed killing for the sake of killing. Another massive similarity between this case and the Eddie Gallagher case is how the media machine (most notably the conservative media machines, Sky News and Fox News) went into work to downplay and nitpick the allegations. Check out Alpha: Eddie Gallagher and the War for the Soul of the Navy Seals if you want to see the similarities for yourself.
I commend Braden Chapman, Dusty Miller, Christina, Tom, Angela, Nick, and the other soldiers + civilians who had the courage to speak up and reveal what happened in Afghanistan and at home.
I also commend Mark Willacy for investigating this story and for giving the victims and survivors in Afghanistan names, faces, and voices in his book. He and his handlers/fixers/fellow journalists went to great lengths to talk to the men and women in Afghanistan, to give them the opportunity to share their stories and experiences.
There are three soldiers that take center stage: Soldier A, Soldier B and Soldier C. Soldier B shocked me the most because it was clear he was a danger to all of those around him - his fellow soldiers, Afghan civilians, and even his family members.
Chapter 3 - titled Angela - horrified me. Angela was Soldier B’s live-in girlfriend/partner and Nick, the biological son of Angela, was Soldier’s B sort of step-son. They were subjected to intense physical and verbal abuse, culminating in a fight in which Soldier B assaulted Nick and Angela. Angela, while trying to defend her son, broke her finger in the fight and was nearly strangled to death by her partner. She managed to stick her fingers in his eyes, which caused him to release his grip, allowing her to escape and seek shelter.
When the police were called and Soldier B was separated from the two, Angela and Nick decided not to press charges, despite the police and magistrate wanting her to do so. When the three re-united, Soldier B played (and perhaps felt) contrite.
After the on-contact order expires Angela and Soldier B can see each other. [Soldier B’s friend] drives him to the house and waits outside.
Inside they sit down, and he begins to cry. It is something Angela has never seen him do before and she feels pity for him. She knows he is deeply tormented, seemingly awash with demons he can’t control.
Soldier B takes her hand with the broken finger and begins kissing it.
“I’m sorry I did this to you. I can’t believe I hurt you.”
“Maybe this can be a turning point,” she says. “We can look at my distorted finger and go, ‘That was the day our life changed for the better.’”
The finger is permanently disabled, but they agree to start again. In tears, he apologises to Nick, who tells him he forgives him.
There is one problem. Soldier B still had to front court on two charges of aggravated assault.
At the first hearing Angela tells the magistrate she does not want to proceed with the charges.
“You’re a battered woman,” says the magistrate. “Are you going to sit there and stand up for him? You need to speak out.”
But Angela is adamant. She stands by her man.
Later a senior police officer calls her. He tells her she could have been killed in the assault.
“Strangulation is classified as attempted murder,” he tells her.
“If he wanted to kill me, he could have,” she says.
They want her to testify. She won’t budge. The case cannot proceed.
Inside the court, the charges are dismissed for “want of prosecution.”
Soldier B and Angela walk out of court hand in hand alongside Nick.
“You really do care about me,” he says to Angela and Nick. “Thank you so much.”
Because (I think) Angela was convinced that this “incident” would ruin Soldier B’s career and that Soldier B was needed on the deployment, she sticks with him. And while I cannot speak for her, I think she really did love him at the time and wanted to protect him and his career, in spite of everything.
However, Solider B, initially thankful for Angela and Nick sticking by him, quickly returned back to his old ways and abused the two up to and after his deployment.
Soldier B - despite once being described as a “key member,” one of 3 Squadron’s “most experienced operators,” and “almost impossible to replace” - is nothing more than a domestic abuser who was allowed to go to Afghanistan in a leadership position and basically do as he pleases. He is alleged to have tortured a man to death, attacked children and adults, shot a dog held by a child, and likely committed more war crimes. His fellow soldiers described his eyes rolling back like a shark. They were genuinely disgusted and afraid of him, but did little if anything to try to stop him.
Thankfully, when he returned from deployment Angela decided to end the toxic relationship. He wanted to have a birthday party (having returned from Afghanistan) and Angela, knowing “it is yet another excuse for a piss up” (basically a social gathering or full-blown party intentionally to get drunk) prepared the party. People are invited and for awhile, the party seemed to be going pretty well. Until…
The neighbours down the road in the housing estate let off some firecrackers. No one thinks much of it until the police turn up.
“Because of the incident with [Soldier B] they’re thinking gunshots,” says Angela.
One of the wives at the party explains to the cops that it was some kids down the road letting off firecrackers, that there is nothing to worry about. The police leave. But minutes later someone tells Soldier B that the police have been by.
Angela watches as Soldier B marches over to Nick, who is sitting on the couch with his mate, the son of another SAS sergeant. She sees him waving his finger in the teenager’s face. Nick is frozen, the colour has drained from his face and he is looking up at the big SAS operator in abject terror.
“Next time the fucking cops are the door you fucking get me,” he yells at NIck.
Angela knows how quickly Soldier B's temper can explode, so she rushes over to the couch.
"Hey, what's going on?"
Angela has hold of Soldier B and has turned him around to face her.
"What the fuck is going on?" she asks again.
"Your son is a little fucking arsehole," he says.
Everyone at the party is looking at them.
The woman who spoke to the police at the door comes over.
"I looked after it. It's fine," she says to Soldier B.
But his temper won't be checked. Neither will Angela's.
The sight of Soldier B threatening her son has triggered her fierce maternal instinct and she has had enough.
"If you've got a fucking issue with my kid, you talk to me," she says.
Soldier B leans gown, gets in her face. But Angela isn't intimidated.
"If you're going to kill me this time, make sure you kill me. Because if you don't, I will come for you," she says.
"You better do it," she says to Soldier B, taunting him. "You better do it."
A few of the SAS guys at the party grab Soldier B and pull him away from Angela. She has had enough. She is going to end it.
"You are never coming near my son again," she screams at him as he is taken away from the house. "You are finished. I gave you a chance. And you want to go this way...you are finished."
Soldier B in many ways reminds me of Eddie Gallagher, a retired Navy SEAL who like Soldier B was an enlisted non-commissioned officer, was older than most of the men in his platoon, had a strong reputation for being experienced and excellent in the field, but also possessed many negative and dangerous traits. He had a massive ego, an explosive temper, and seems to have really enjoyed killing for the sake of killing. Another massive similarity between this case and the Eddie Gallagher case is how the media machine (most notably the conservative media machines, Sky News and Fox News) went into work to downplay and nitpick the allegations. Check out Alpha: Eddie Gallagher and the War for the Soul of the Navy Seals if you want to see the similarities for yourself.
I commend Braden Chapman, Dusty Miller, Christina, Tom, Angela, Nick, and the other soldiers + civilians who had the courage to speak up and reveal what happened in Afghanistan and at home.
I also commend Mark Willacy for investigating this story and for giving the victims and survivors in Afghanistan names, faces, and voices in his book. He and his handlers/fixers/fellow journalists went to great lengths to talk to the men and women in Afghanistan, to give them the opportunity to share their stories and experiences.
October 3, 2022
The Australian public has not really come to terms with or even seems to be aware of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. This book is important for setting the record straight.
It seems that in the SAS there was a hard-right Nazi-esque ideology prevalent. Pagan Viking ideas of pillaging raping, looting and burning were the unofficially ideology and practice in the field. Soldiers were forced to be 'blooded' by killing innocent Afghani's whose only crime was being in the vicinity of Australian troops. Australian soldiers even drove around flying the swastika.
The SAS received for these actions the Meritorious Unit Citation, despite calls by the Brereton Inquiry and the head of the ADF to strip this medal the Australian government confirmed that they would retain the medal. This is in affect an endorsement of a policy of wholesale slaughter of the innocents. Australia's most famous contemporaneous solider Ben Roberts-Smith received the Victoria Cross for his actions in Afghanistan, he has been photographed drinking from the prosthetic limb stolen from a man Australian soldiers had killed.
Although Australia has ceased it's involvement in Afghanistan and the whole operation has been revealed to be a complete sham and a failure, it continues to support Nazism abroad. It has been outspoken in its support of Ukraine who, like Australia, wave the Nazi Flag when going into battle.
This book focuses far too much on the crimes of a few soldiers whose job it was to to be killing machines. By focusing so heavily on cases where the so-called 'rules of engagement' have been broken or ignored the author misses the forest for the trees. Who gave Australia the right to write up the rules about which Afghanis they could kill and for what reason?
Every single person that coalition forces killed was a war crime. Every second they spent occupying Afghan soil was a war crime. The decision to send Australian forces to Afghanistan and keep them there was a the real war crime. It's not about the grunts who were trained to kill and did but the people who sent them there to do the killing.
It seems that in the SAS there was a hard-right Nazi-esque ideology prevalent. Pagan Viking ideas of pillaging raping, looting and burning were the unofficially ideology and practice in the field. Soldiers were forced to be 'blooded' by killing innocent Afghani's whose only crime was being in the vicinity of Australian troops. Australian soldiers even drove around flying the swastika.
The SAS received for these actions the Meritorious Unit Citation, despite calls by the Brereton Inquiry and the head of the ADF to strip this medal the Australian government confirmed that they would retain the medal. This is in affect an endorsement of a policy of wholesale slaughter of the innocents. Australia's most famous contemporaneous solider Ben Roberts-Smith received the Victoria Cross for his actions in Afghanistan, he has been photographed drinking from the prosthetic limb stolen from a man Australian soldiers had killed.
Although Australia has ceased it's involvement in Afghanistan and the whole operation has been revealed to be a complete sham and a failure, it continues to support Nazism abroad. It has been outspoken in its support of Ukraine who, like Australia, wave the Nazi Flag when going into battle.
This book focuses far too much on the crimes of a few soldiers whose job it was to to be killing machines. By focusing so heavily on cases where the so-called 'rules of engagement' have been broken or ignored the author misses the forest for the trees. Who gave Australia the right to write up the rules about which Afghanis they could kill and for what reason?
Every single person that coalition forces killed was a war crime. Every second they spent occupying Afghan soil was a war crime. The decision to send Australian forces to Afghanistan and keep them there was a the real war crime. It's not about the grunts who were trained to kill and did but the people who sent them there to do the killing.
June 16, 2022
Yes, I've seen the helmet cam footage, I've read the Brereton report; these war criminals have forever dishonoured the ADF.
After Mark Willacy produced the Four Corners 'Killing Fields' doco, he was inundated with witnesses coming forward of more Australian SAS war crimes in Afghanistan, necessitating this book.
It's narrative is narrow in scope, in his words "An attempt to explain the macro through the micro". Centering on interviews with a few key witnesses about a handful of incidents. He broadly describes a toxic culture of conforming to Boys Club norms, which treated support staff like shit and bullied those who didn't conform. Includes heartbreaking stories of the witnesses coming to terms with what they've experienced.
However war is a complex phenomena, not easy to paint combat decisions made as black and white, particularly in Afghanistan. But it's clear war crimes were systemically committed and covered up. The true extent will never be known, but we do know that at least 39 prisoners/civilians were murdered, and 25 ADF perpetrators/accessories. AT LEAST.
However Mark Willacy is just a journalist, not a strategist; the book is well written but it left gaps in the analysis in the acountability of senior military and political leaders who repeatedly deployed SOTGs against the prevailing strategy, with little oversight.
Lot of people don't want you to read this book. You should be read it so you understand war, understand what happens in toxic elitist cultures, and understand your nations' history beyond the Disneyfied Anzac legend.
Recommend as part of a military ethics package.
After Mark Willacy produced the Four Corners 'Killing Fields' doco, he was inundated with witnesses coming forward of more Australian SAS war crimes in Afghanistan, necessitating this book.
It's narrative is narrow in scope, in his words "An attempt to explain the macro through the micro". Centering on interviews with a few key witnesses about a handful of incidents. He broadly describes a toxic culture of conforming to Boys Club norms, which treated support staff like shit and bullied those who didn't conform. Includes heartbreaking stories of the witnesses coming to terms with what they've experienced.
However war is a complex phenomena, not easy to paint combat decisions made as black and white, particularly in Afghanistan. But it's clear war crimes were systemically committed and covered up. The true extent will never be known, but we do know that at least 39 prisoners/civilians were murdered, and 25 ADF perpetrators/accessories. AT LEAST.
However Mark Willacy is just a journalist, not a strategist; the book is well written but it left gaps in the analysis in the acountability of senior military and political leaders who repeatedly deployed SOTGs against the prevailing strategy, with little oversight.
Lot of people don't want you to read this book. You should be read it so you understand war, understand what happens in toxic elitist cultures, and understand your nations' history beyond the Disneyfied Anzac legend.
Recommend as part of a military ethics package.
January 14, 2025
This book is an opinion piece written by someone with no experience or understanding of military or war.
Filled with interviews, which are carefully framed and posed to reinforce his arguments, this is written to sell copies and make money. He has no right to be making judgements about these accusations.
The author is clearly lacking the concept of contextual understanding of war, being in war and the environment of war. This book should not be taken seriously or referenced to understand what happened in this incident. It is comparable to a Daily Mail piece of writing.
Anyone with critical analysis skills will understand this book is to totally spun to tell a story. It is riddled with confirmation bias, and from the very first page considers what he believes happened to be absolute truth - lacking to consider a wider range of explanations. How can we have any opinion - we weren’t there? This story should have been written objectively, using sources as SOURCES and not as absolute truth, and this book is anything but.
I advise anyone who believes this book is factually true or takes anything from this book as real to go read Lone Survivor, or of Andy McNab’s true story recounts, to understand the context of war, being sent to war, and the realities of facing an enemy - or even just to properly understand different perceptions and how people perceive situations, which the author does not.
Filled with interviews, which are carefully framed and posed to reinforce his arguments, this is written to sell copies and make money. He has no right to be making judgements about these accusations.
The author is clearly lacking the concept of contextual understanding of war, being in war and the environment of war. This book should not be taken seriously or referenced to understand what happened in this incident. It is comparable to a Daily Mail piece of writing.
Anyone with critical analysis skills will understand this book is to totally spun to tell a story. It is riddled with confirmation bias, and from the very first page considers what he believes happened to be absolute truth - lacking to consider a wider range of explanations. How can we have any opinion - we weren’t there? This story should have been written objectively, using sources as SOURCES and not as absolute truth, and this book is anything but.
I advise anyone who believes this book is factually true or takes anything from this book as real to go read Lone Survivor, or of Andy McNab’s true story recounts, to understand the context of war, being sent to war, and the realities of facing an enemy - or even just to properly understand different perceptions and how people perceive situations, which the author does not.
September 30, 2023
I initially had some reservations about the extent of war crimes committed by the Australian SAS in Afghanistan. After reading this book those reservations have been dismissed. A small group of “psychopathic” killers have discredited the Australian Defence Force and their once highly respected Unit. Sadly it seems that Senior Army Commanders, the ADF and our Politicians (particularly Defense Ministers) from both sides of politics allowed this activity to continue until brought to light by several brave whistleblowers after the conflict ended. Unfortunately these brave soldiers suffered greatly on returning home from “moral injury” and PTSD believing they should have reported these incidents at the time but fearing repercussions from the perpetrators such as “falling from a helicopter” or “receiving a stray gunshot wound to the back of the head while on patrol”. It is important to remember however these actions were the result of a small group and do not reflect the Australian Defence Force itself.
November 26, 2023
This is close to a 5 but at times it was a little bit inclined to repetitiveness so I deducted half a star. However it is a very important book from a historical point of view, documenting the many crimes committed by SAS forces in Afghanistan. It goes to prove that you can spend a motza teaching men how to kill but when they've learned their lessons too well it's very difficult to get them to stop. This is apart from the fact that this is exactly the part of the military which attracts borderline and actual psychopaths. Quite terrifying.
February 14, 2022
Deeply gripping and disturbing. Not only paints the picture of the systemic flaws in elite military units like the SAS, but also illumines the real moral injury suffered by many Afghanistan veterans. Willacy poses such an important question to the reader - does the buck fall at the soldiers who fired the shots or should it land with a government who persisted with an unending and undirected war in Afghanistan? Highly recommended.
August 23, 2023
Heartbreaking, visceral depiction of war on the ground in Afghanistan. A chilling account of how soldiers go rogue, bend to violent atrocity, and drag everyone else along for the awful, bloody ride.
It leaves so many questions: how do we prevent psychopaths from flourishing in the Military? What can we do to create a culture of accountability? How can we better support veterans & serving military personnel? And mostly, will we ever see the end of violent conflict?
It leaves so many questions: how do we prevent psychopaths from flourishing in the Military? What can we do to create a culture of accountability? How can we better support veterans & serving military personnel? And mostly, will we ever see the end of violent conflict?
September 14, 2021
4.5 War crimes out of 5
Follows an investigation into the potential war crimes in Afghanistan by the Australian SASR. Great journalism by Willacy
So disappointing to read. The SASR is an organisation I have looked up to my whole life. To see the name, and reputation tarnished by a few idiots is beyond sad. What’s worse is that it may be more than “a few idiots”...
Follows an investigation into the potential war crimes in Afghanistan by the Australian SASR. Great journalism by Willacy
So disappointing to read. The SASR is an organisation I have looked up to my whole life. To see the name, and reputation tarnished by a few idiots is beyond sad. What’s worse is that it may be more than “a few idiots”...
October 26, 2021
This was an uncomfortable read purely for the subject matter. It was well written and easy to read.
My one complaint is that it felt judgement was already passed during the writing. But recommend it.
My one complaint is that it felt judgement was already passed during the writing. But recommend it.
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