He's Australia's most decorated soldier. Now he's at the ...

What’s Happening

Breaking it down: Ben Roberts-Smith’s case is not only unprecedented for Australia but “extraordinary” for the globe too, scholars say.

Hes Australias most decorated soldier. Now hes at the centre of a historic war crimes case 57 minutes ago Save Add as preferred on Google Tiffanie Turnbull Sydney Sam Mooy/The Sydney Morning Herald via Less than a decade ago, Ben Roberts-Smith was Australias most-celebrated war hero One of the most significant moments in Australian military history unfolded without fanfare on a tarmac at Sydney airport, when Ben Roberts-Smith was calmly escorted off a plane and into a waiting police car. (let that sink in)

The countrys most-decorated living soldier and the most famous of his generation, Roberts-Smith was on Tuesday charged with five counts of the war crime of murder.

The Details

It follows a high-profile civil defamation case, which three years ago found that the former Special Air Service (SAS) corporal and Victoria Cross recipient had unlawfully killed several unarmed Afghan detainees. Roberts-Smith, who left the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in 2013, denies all wrongdoing and says the allegations are “egregious” and driven jealous peers.

His case – now set to be tested to a higher, criminal standard – has become the face of Australias reckoning over the countrys alleged conduct in Afghanistan, which has cast a pall over its much-mythologised military legacy. “For Roberts-Smith to now be charged with war crimes - and not just one, but multiple war crimes - is a significant cultural and social moment for a country that, for much of its history… has placed a lot of store in the exploits and contributions of the members of its defence forces,” Professor Donald Rothwell told the BBC.

Why This Matters

But the prosecution of such a highly-decorated veteran is also an extraordinary moment for the globe. “Weve never seen this before,” says Deane-Peter Baker, a special forces ethics scholar.

This is part of the larger geopolitical picture unfolding right now.

The Bottom Line

This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.

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