Australian police stormed
a building belonging to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC),
as part of an ongoing investigation against stories from 2017 related to
Australian forces involved in possible war crimes in Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison tried to downplay the matter,
though this was actually the second day of such raids against the
reporter involved, while insisting that his government is “committed to
press freedom.” He sought to avoid responsibility, however, saying that
probe was actually started before he became premier. He also pointed out
that ABC is a state-run outlet.
The 2017 articles in question were specifically related to the use of “unlawful killings” by Australian special forces. The warrant demanded drafts of the stories, access to reporter emails, and handwritten notes. Over 100 pages of documents were taken, and two USB drives.
In 2017, ABC revealed a myriad of killings
by Australian special forces, with attempts to cover them up by
avoiding reporting the extent of their killings up the chain of command.
The killings included young children, and were the subject of a secret
military inquiry.
The special forces appeared to hope no one would find out about the
killings at all by just not reporting them, but local villagers found
the slain civilians and they reported them, leading to inquiries.
The leaked documents showed not only that the Australian forces killed
civilians without reason, but that some routinely carried “drop weapons”
to leave on the bodies of people they killed so they could chalk them
up as legitimate battlefield kills.
Despite both Morrison and ABC avoiding making this a huge deal, other
Australian media outlets were deeply critical, condemning it as a
troubling move against freedom of the press and aiming to punish
journalists for leaking things the government was trying to keep secret.
What king of parallel universe are we living in, when war criminals walk free and the journalists who report war crimes, are investigated and locked up.
andy, It is called evil, it abounds,,like in NY, there they support and applaud abortion right up until delivery of a living baby, but now want to pass a law outlawing, making criminal, DECLAWING CATS!! Vanquish evil, or drown in it.
Setting example to the world on the freedom of press, especially when in true imperial fashion the state jumps in to defend the actions of cruelty and lawlesness of its soldiers. In this way, just like in US pardons — discipline is undermined, message sent to good people nit to dare reporting such acts, snd to military establishmen to look the other way. It is a fine line between being a soldier defending a country and an imperial drone.
Bianca, In the USA this same situation exists in our police departments, cops get away with all sorts of outrages, including murder, and then when called out, they investigate,,THEMSELVES!! Long live the 2nd!
The culture of impunity has started actually through government reforms led by Al Gore in Clinton administration. That was when Civil Service concept was demolished, and employment in Government became essentially political. Ince upin a time, cjvil servants did things by the ethics and were not allowed to bebmembers if political parties. Voting was private busuness, but in workplace partisanship was not aliwed. This aliwed managers to remain apolitical, and their jobs safe from politics. Then, it was clear which are political appointee positiins. Tiday, governments in all levels are rife with politics. The bet result was the culture in the management that has separated itself from the actual workers — police, teachers, etc. making them feel like there is nowhere to turn for support. And there is an illusion that you have to “take initiative”, while the higher uos just do politics, write speeches and then throw under the bus whoever they do not like, but make only motions to “investigate”. Herein lay a tkn of problems. One, everybody knows you are not supported, be that in clasroom or on the street. If you are a snake, you will get promoted to management, knowing your job, or any job is irrelevant. Since management actually does nothing to strategize and implement good practices in modern, especially urban law enforcement, we have insane situations where cops do not have a tactical ir strategic respinse to situations, from basics like assesment of situations to calls for assistance. Basically, it is you or them — and cowboy culture is encouraged. This shuts up anyone who us against lawlessness and impunity. But as generations change, the new norm sets in.
Similarly in armed forces. Ince upon a time, top echelin consisted of people with top notch education, integrity, reasoned thinking. The kind of people that make you ferl safe, and were trusted globally. This chaned in the nineties as well. Reading Rolling Stone interview with McChrystal and hus aides — shocked me. The language, the lose attitude to fighting and occupying — made me winder about the quality of people we have now to defend us.
I have a feeling that we have a situation that plagued Red Army afrer Trotsky founded it. He appointed many politically correct and liyal commanders that knew nothing of real warfare. It was easy romping through the vastness of Russian Empire conquering weak and unarmed, burning churches and killing “rich” farmers, fighting tribes of Central Asia. But Tritski and Stalin did not see eye to eye on many things — especially German threat. Abd by the time Tritsky settled jn Mexico Stalin had to call out of retirement old Tzarist generals to restructure military for nation wide defense. We likewise tiday have top military men and wimen who are mimicking political discourse of global conflicts instead of being ficused on primary goal — defence. And soldiers are likewise encouraged to be imperial warriors, not soldiers representing our country.
But for all if it — we the prople are at fault. We have become juvenile. There is precious little maturity left. Examples include our inability to focus on TOTAL cost of global engagement, and absence of questioning our security. We are spending on an insane number and types of meddling, sanctions, alliances, drployments, occupations, support for ivert and covert missions, armaments. Yet, nobody can say if we are defended. Are all of our cities safe?
We have sern the results of our quest for total dominance resulting in Russia announcing its ground breakung military technology, making sure we “listen” for a change. And we did not, getting China to verbally respond to our “tooks of coercion” with their readiness for war “to the end”.
And testerday, Xi and Putin from Moscow announced that “the two powers will support global peace and stability, as well as fight against unilateral trade disruptions. They also said that they will promote peaceful solutions in North Korea, Iran Syria and Venezuela. Somehow, it suddenly lolks like US is isolated. We are way to optimistic about our “alliances” outside Europe. Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, india, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand — are all wirking with us to stave off damage and prepare themselves to avoid any vulnerability. There is no sincere, real interest based motive there. They are not letting go if Russia and China. And our staunch allues, Japan and South Korea are no more staunch. Korea building commerce with China, Japan trading with China and building stronger ties with Russia. Saudis and Gulf are slipping away. Are we really defended or this is fhe case of Emperors clothes. Because I do not see any allies anywhere, including Eutope or Canada that will give their lives for our defence in case of war with Russia and China.
Dismaying, but I’m not sure how a regime having its own police raid its own state media outlet over leaks of its own “defense” documents has anything to do with a free press. Pretty much self-contained internal gang warfare.
Next step….arrest the journalists who report that a journalist was arrested over war crimes reporting. I wouldn’t plan any walkabout soon Jason….
The timing of this just seems all but too convenient. As Assange, an Australia citizen sits in a British jail with the possibility of extradition on 17 counts under the Espionage Act explains Australia’s position in the matter. As an Australian myself this is shameful to see, as i believe this solidifies Australia’s position in accordance with the US, in saying we will not stand for real journalism that does not publish information that fits the narrative or uncovers wrong doing in war. This lie that it is for “protecting national security” is blatant double speak, as the unearthing of such conduct sheds light on our action overseas funded with our money, and should hopefully send a message and promote public discourse, in which the people will not stand and support these actions. As what is “protecting national security” is getting out of these places in the Middle East and putting an end to the possibility of such conduct or any conduct in relation to the current operations overseas. Though i would be native to think most even care, or can see the cause and effect of the establishments actions.
When exposing a crime is a crime
We are no longer free.
Still think the lynching of Julian Assange has nothing to do with the Fourth Estate?
“First they came for the anarchists but my studio isn’t run by anarchists so I said nothing….”
Press freedom defined: the press is free to report what we tell them to.
I don’t know if the same ABC office was raided two days in a row in the same case (the same reporter involved?) but there was another raid at the home of News Corp Australia journalist Annika Smethurst who had been investigating the publication of a leaked plan to allow government spying on Australians.
This does seem related to the Assange case in the sense that it lowered the threshold for attacking journalists. It’s a green light.