Karl Stefanovic claims Aussie soldiers ‘let down’ by pursuit of charges against alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith
Karl Stefanovic claimed in his latest podcast episode that Australian soldiers were “disappointed” by the arrest of alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith.
In the latest episode of The Karl Stefanovic Show, the Today Show host discussed the recent arrest of the former SAS soldier over allegations he committed a series of war crimes in Afghanistan.
Speaking to military lawyer Glenn Kolomeitz and former SAS commander Mark Wales, Stefanovic said he thought the arrest could dissuade potential ADF recruits from joining due to fear of persecution.
“I don’t know how anyone in the SAS or any part of the defense force can go and fight for us anymore without having the thought in the back of their mind that you won’t necessarily be protected,” Stefanovic said.
“People need to be reminded of what our armed forces do… you have to do things that normal people don’t do on a daily basis.
“I personally think we’ve let you all down. I think your lack of support and what’s happened as a result… has let you down.”
Mr Wales, a former SAS commander who served four tours of duty to Afghanistan, said criminal charges by Australia’s top police force “could impact people’s calculations about what is worth joining as a military force”.
“If you think you’re going to be asked to do something incredibly risky, like harm or kill people, and then have it reviewed by a team of prosecution lawyers… I wouldn’t even bother participating,” Mr Wales said.
“There are many cases where soldiers are investigated, and if the rules of engagement are violated, they are justified,” he said.
“But I would like to see the same level of focus and money spent on understanding how senior commanders stumbled into a war that was useless and clearly unwinnable.”
Mr Roberts-Smith was charged with five counts of war crimes, including murder, for incidents that allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2012.
He was arrested by Australian Federal Police at Sydney Airport on Tuesday.
The Victoria Cross recipient has been detained and is expected to apply for bail in the coming days.
Following his arrest, a number of high-profile Australian figures supported him, including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and boxer Danny Green.
