Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Media: The Australian
Byline: n/a
Date: 17 September 2006
THE Australian Defence Force is investigating videos taken in Iraq that
reportedly show Australian soldiers allegedly mishandling weapons and
fraternising with Iraqis.
Details of the 14 video clips were revealed in an article on the Time
magazine website.
One, Time said, shows a soldier pointing a handgun at the head of a kneeling
man, possibly another Australian soldier dressed in Arab robes. Another
shows charred corpses, the victims of terror bombings.
The actual video clips - credited to a person with the internet nickname
pornstar - were posted on the YouTube internet website but have now been
removed.
A defence force spokeswoman said it viewed any material of this nature
seriously.
"Defence is investigating the origin of the imagery," she said.
The Time item said the 14 videos were prepared by Australian members of the
security detachment in Baghdad as what it said appeared to be an unofficial
video-making contest.
The longest video is just under five minutes.
Time said they were a compilation of images of US and Australian operations
and Australian soldiers in their barrack accommodation.
One shows a soldier practising quick-drawing his handgun.
Another shows Australians socialising with Iraqis inside the barracks. Time
said that could make the Iraqis targets of insurgent forces.
It cited an unnamed former military police officer saying the videos
breached security procedures.
"To post that kind of stuff on the internet is quite derogatory to the
uniform," he said.
Defence commentator John Hunter Farrell, publisher of the Australian and NZ
Defender Magazine, said he had seen the video clips and described them as
overwhelmingly innocuous.
Mr Farrell said they did not depict Australian troops firing any shots,
while imagery of corpses had been taken from internet news reports unrelated
to any Australian operations.
"In my view this is the mother of all beat-ups," he said.
"It appals me the sanctimonious assaults directed at young Australians
serving in the nightmare that is September 2006 Iraq."
Byline: n/a
Date: 17 September 2006
THE Australian Defence Force is investigating videos taken in Iraq that
reportedly show Australian soldiers allegedly mishandling weapons and
fraternising with Iraqis.
Details of the 14 video clips were revealed in an article on the Time
magazine website.
One, Time said, shows a soldier pointing a handgun at the head of a kneeling
man, possibly another Australian soldier dressed in Arab robes. Another
shows charred corpses, the victims of terror bombings.
The actual video clips - credited to a person with the internet nickname
pornstar - were posted on the YouTube internet website but have now been
removed.
A defence force spokeswoman said it viewed any material of this nature
seriously.
"Defence is investigating the origin of the imagery," she said.
The Time item said the 14 videos were prepared by Australian members of the
security detachment in Baghdad as what it said appeared to be an unofficial
video-making contest.
The longest video is just under five minutes.
Time said they were a compilation of images of US and Australian operations
and Australian soldiers in their barrack accommodation.
One shows a soldier practising quick-drawing his handgun.
Another shows Australians socialising with Iraqis inside the barracks. Time
said that could make the Iraqis targets of insurgent forces.
It cited an unnamed former military police officer saying the videos
breached security procedures.
"To post that kind of stuff on the internet is quite derogatory to the
uniform," he said.
Defence commentator John Hunter Farrell, publisher of the Australian and NZ
Defender Magazine, said he had seen the video clips and described them as
overwhelmingly innocuous.
Mr Farrell said they did not depict Australian troops firing any shots,
while imagery of corpses had been taken from internet news reports unrelated
to any Australian operations.
"In my view this is the mother of all beat-ups," he said.
"It appals me the sanctimonious assaults directed at young Australians
serving in the nightmare that is September 2006 Iraq."