At least 10 current members of the elite Special Air Service Regiment implicated in the damning Afghanistan war crimes inquiry have received termination notices from the Defence Department.
The ABC can reveal Defence “initiated administrative action” against serving Special Forces members within days of last week’s landmark Brereton war crimes report being made public.
Defence sources have told the ABC the elite soldiers facing expulsion are members of the SAS’s now disbanded 2 Squadron as well as the Regiment’s 3 Squadron.
The personnel are suspected to have been “accessories” or “witnesses” to alleged murders carried out by other Special Forces soldiers but are not among the 19 personnel who Justice Brereton recommended be referred to Federal Police.
“Defence can confirm it has initiated administrative action against a number of serving Australian Defence Force personnel in accordance with legislation and Defence policy,” a spokesperson told the ABC.
“As the Chief of the Defence Force [CDF] said publicly last week, findings by the IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry of alleged negligence by individuals in the performance of their duties have been accepted by the CDF, and allegations will be managed through the ADF’s administrative and disciplinary processes.”
The Defence Department said those who are subject to administrative action have “a right to respond within a specified time” of “at least 14 days after the individual has received the notice”.
It added that “individuals may also apply for an extension to provide a written response”.
“Each matter and individual circumstance will be considered on a case-by-case basis,” a spokesperson said.
Defence said due to privacy reasons it would not provide details of the serving members who were facing expulsion, but added that it was “essential that due process is followed, and that no further comment be made until the process is complete”.
More to come.