Ben Roberts-Smith has denied shooting prisoners or witnessing fellow Australian soldiers do so, saying he would not change a single thing about his military career.
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he → deny → career
Speaking to 2GB host Ben Fordham in what he described as his first interview since charges were laid against him, the nation's most decorated living soldier said he had never broken the rules of engagement during his service in Afghanistan.
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he → speak → Afghanistan
The 47-year-old was awarded Australia's highest military honour, the Victoria Cross, for his service in Afghanistan but now faces accusations he murdered five unarmed detainees during his deployment.
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he → award → deployment
He denies the allegations.
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He → deny → allegations
Asked whether he had shot prisoners, he replied: 'No.'
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he → ask → prisoners
Asked whether he had seen anyone else shooting prisoners, he said: 'No, I did not.
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I → ask → prisoners
'I didn't bloody murder anyone,' he said.
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he → murder → anyone
Roberts-Smith said he understood why the questions had to be asked, despite finding them hurtful.
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them → say → ?
'Yeah, I'm not going to say I enjoy it, but I told you that I would accept the fact they have to be asked, and I don't like it.
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I → go → it
I'll put myself in this position because I want the facts out there as best I can put them.
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I → put → them
So I accept it needs to be done.
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it → accept → ?
Roberts-Smith has denied accusations of a 'cowboy culture' inside the Australian Defence Force and said Aussie soldiers can't be larrikins anymore
Ben Roberts-Smith has denied shooting prisoners or witnessing fellow Australian soldiers do so, saying he would not change a single thing about his military career.
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he → deny → career
Roberts-Smith was charged with five counts of murder in relation to alleged incidents in Afghanistan between April 2009 and October 2012
Fordham also questioned him about 'throwdowns' - weapons placed on dead bodies to make those killed appear to have been armed.
Roberts-Smith said military leadership had instructed soldiers to gather weapons and equipment with bodies for intelligence photographs.
'
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leadership → charge → photographs
But the interesting part of that question is that we were told to put weapons on the bodies for the photographs because they wanted it all in one photo, so we could send it back.
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we → tell → it
'It was actually a directive, right, from the leadership that if you had an engagement and you needed to take a photo of it for intelligence purposes, put their equipment together, put the weapon on the body, you know, and then that was sent back because that was just the process of the day.'
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that → have → day
The allegation is that some soldiers packed weapons specifically to plant on dead civilians and portray them as enemy fighters, which carries the implication of premeditated murder.
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which → pack → murder
Several SAS witnesses testified during the defamation trial that soldiers carried 'throwdown' items, including folding-stock AK-47s, Russian grenades, spare webbing and handheld radios, in their patrol gear.
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soldiers → testify → gear
Two witnesses at the defamation trial testified that Roberts-Smith himself instructed others in the practice.
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Smith → testify → practice
Roberts-Smith also denied there was a practice of 'blooding' inexperienced soldiers by encouraging them to make their first kill.
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Smith → deny → kill
He agreed that loyalty to fellow soldiers could not override the laws of armed conflict and that shooting a prisoner was a war crime.
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shooting → agree → prisoner
Asked what should happen to a soldier who murdered a prisoner, he said: 'If you murder a prisoner, then you're going to be charged and go through the process.'
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you → ask → process
He said soldiers who witnessed such conduct were obliged to report it.
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who → say → it
Well, immediately you have to report it.
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you → have → it
So it's not something that you can ignore.
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you → ignore → that
Roberts-Smith poses for the cameras in front of his Victoria Cross at the Australian War Memorial in 2011
Asked whether he had reported unlawful conduct by fellow soldiers, Roberts-Smith said: 'I didn't witness any unlawful conduct by any of my fellow soldiers.'
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I → pose → soldiers
He also rejected Fordham's suggestion there had been a cowboy culture in the SAS, describing some behaviour as a way of letting off steam.
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He → reject → steam
I don't think that's a fair assessment.
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that → think → ?
You know, I've seen videos that have come out, things like that, and about people on the ground behaving in particular ways.
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that → know → ways
Well, I think the guys let off steam and take the piss, and you know.
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you → think → piss
You want to talk about being larrikins?
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You → want → ?
I know that's not accepted in the military anymore.
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that → know → military
You can't be a larrikin, but the fact of the matter was, it's just how blokes let off steam.
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blokes → let → steam
But the one thing I do know is when it was game time, when it was actually happening, the majority of guys were the most professional soldiers you'll ever meet.
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you → know → guys
The interview also turned to his upbringing, with Fordham asking whether his parents had taught him right from wrong.
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parents → turn → wrong
'They did, mate.
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They → do → ?
And that's one of the sad parts of this whole experience for me, because I know that they know they instilled in me the values that they live by and the behaviours that are respected of a good Australian.'
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that → know → Australian
He spoke about his father's legal work and contribution to the Indigenous community.
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He → speak → community
My dad did it because he believed in it, and he did a lot of pro bono work.
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he → do → work
He did a lot for the Indigenous community.
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He → do → community
He founded Legal Aid in Western Australia.
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He → found → Australia
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
