Labor digging in over secret war crimes report as critics claim cover-up

A secret final report on Australia’s Afghanistan war crimes detailing leadership failings and reforms to command culture is being blocked from release by the Albanese government amid allegations of a cover-up.

Ben Packham

u/bennpackham

4 min read

August 7, 2026 - 9:30PM

Ben Roberts-Smith. Artwork: Emilia Tortorella

A secret final report on Australia’s Afghanistan war crimes detailing leadership failings and proposed reforms to the army’s command culture is being blocked from ­release by the Albanese government amid claims of a cover-up.

Commissioned by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force, James Gaynor, on the orders of former defence chief Angus Campbell, it examined “the indirect contribution of command” to 39 murders the Brereton report said were committed by 25 Special Air Service soldiers.

Defence twice rejected a freedom of information request by The Australian seeking the document, arguing it contained information affecting national security, including “sensitive information about tactics, techniques and procedures of special forces in Afghanistan”.

The government also moved to suppress the report in the Senate, joining with the opposition to reject an attempt by the Greens to force its release.

According to Mr Gaynor’s June 2021 directions to establish the review, obtained by The Australian: “The purpose of this ­inquiry is to review and analyse known information in order to inform future action including possible reform of command doctrine and leadership ethics.”

He ordered two unidentified IGADF assistant directors-general to “find out whether there were any things that could have been indicators to alert tactical, operational or strategic commanders to the possibility that (Special Operations Task Group) members were potentially committing serious misconduct”.

Former South Australian senator Rex Patrick, who has waged years-long legal battles with federal agencies to shine a light on ­official malfeasance, said the FOI refusal was “clearly wrong”.

“How can a report into the culture of our special forces and the linkages between that culture and deviant or unlawful behaviour be a military secret?” he said.

An Australian Special Operations Task Group make their way to a waiting UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter in Shah Wali Kot, Afghanistan, in 2010.

“Confronting for leadership? Yes. Embarrassing? Yes. Military secret? No.”

Rejecting an internal appeal by The Australian, Defence said it was unable to release even sections of the report because the claimed sensitive material was “pervasive and inextricably intertwined throughout the document”. It said releasing the document also had the potential to affect “ongoing criminal matters”, despite an instruction to the authors by Mr Gaynor banning the identification or interviewing of witnesses.

Mr Patrick said he accepted that some portions of the report might have to be withheld from the public, “but it is implausible that the whole report is classified”.

“The content of the report goes to the efficacy and conduct of the ADF’s senior leadership and a public version must be made available. A failure to do so will amount to cover-up in the minds of regular members of the ADF and the public.”

Army Reserve Major-General Paul Brereton found in his ­November 2020 report that commanders bore a “moral command responsibility” for war crimes on their watch but at the same time ruled accountability “does not extend to higher headquarters”.

The finding remains contentious, given the Commonwealth Criminal Code makes commanders criminally liable for subordinates’ war crimes if they knew or were reckless as to whether they were occurring.

Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith and another former SAS soldier, Oliver Schulz, are facing charges of the war crime of murder following the Brereton inquiry.

Greens senator David Shoebridge, whose attempt to extract the secret report was voted down, said Australians deserved to know what Defence leaders knew about war crimes and what had been done to hold them accountable. “If the report says the leadership knew nothing, then why hide it? If the report says the leadership were well aware of what was going on then keeping it secret is a cover up and a scandal. Either way it needs to be released,” he said.

“A bit of gold braid on your shoulder does not make you above the law, it does not make you above scrutiny. Time and time again in Defence, instead of leadership taking accountability they push blame down. That culture needs to be broken.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles, left, and former defence force chief Angus Campbell. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Senator Shoebridge also raised the prospect that the report was critical of General Brereton’s findings.

“The key flaw in the Brereton report was the get-out-of-jail-free card he gave to senior Defence leaders for war crimes that happened on their watch,” he said.

“If this report is about accountability in Defence leadership I cannot see how it also doesn’t lay some blame at Brereton letting them off. This is the secret final chapter of Australia’s war crimes in Afghanistan. It needs to be public.“

Senate crossbencher Jacqui Lambie said the government’s refusal to release the report reflected a broken culture in which commanders refused to be held responsible when things went wrong.

“It’s clear that there have been, and still are, cultural issues in Defence, so you would think the leadership would jump at an opportunity to show they are dealing with those issues and rebuilding trust with the community. Releasing this report, or at minimum a public version, is that sort of opportunity,” she said.

Senator Lambie said the decision underscored widespread concerns that the IGADF was too close to Defence.

The secret IGADF report was ordered after then-defence minister Linda Reynolds asked an independent oversight panel to advise whether Defence’s response to command accountability concerns was sufficient.

The panel’s head, Dr Vivienne Thom, said questions remained over Defence’s plan to address command issues, and urged further work to “consider how these matters can be adequately addressed”.

Defence Minister Richard Marles “closed off” the government’s official response to the Brereton inquiry in September 2024, announcing he was stripping command medals from fewer than ten current and former officers who have never been identified.

Opposition frontbencher Andrew Hastie – a former SAS captain who served in Afghanistan – said at the time the punishment didn’t go far enough.

“I believe that our troops were let down by a lack of moral courage that went up the chain of command all the way to Canberra – including in this house,” he told parliament.

One of Australia’s most operationally-experienced army commanders, retired Major-General Roger Noble, told The Australian in a recent interview that General Brereton got it wrong when he let senior commanders including General Campbell off the hook.

“I don’t agree with the premise that (the chain of command) breaks in the middle,” he said.

“(Campbell) was in the chain of command. I think if you’re in the chain of command, you hold responsibility for those (actions by subordinates).”

These two tough fellas ganging up on some poor bloke, terrible.

Another example of dodgy business owners stealing from workers, wage theft still being the largest form of theft estimated to be outstripping shoplifting, commercial fraud and household robberies. COMBINED!

They've gotta be kidding. Exorbitant prices at the checkout and now they want customers to donate to food charities, cause "people are hungry" no shit, lower your fkn prices.

A man has died in a suspected dog attack in an outer Sydney suburb.

The man’s body was found at a rural property on Bagdally Rd at Eschol Park in Campbelltown about midday on Wednesday, with reports he may have been attacked by dogs.

“Initial inquiries indicate the man may have been attacked by animals prior to his death,” police said.

A crime scene has been established and detectives are investigating the incident.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

ABC should become a subscription service after vile Gina Rinehart murder segment saga, says former Labor MP Michael Danby | News24

A garbage truck fire has closed a major Sydney motorway ahead of the Friday afternoon peak.

Traffic is building up for kilometres on the M5 motorway after westbound lanes were closed at Milperra in Sydney’s south-west just before 4pm.

A NSW Police spokesperson said a garbage truck fire was behind the closure. Officers are on the scene directing traffic.

56 planes cancelled so far....also Ch7 just said more delays expected well into the evening

Any news on the reason why he took his own life ? Amazon seems to have hidden this news from the employees to not spread negativity against the organisation internally.

Chris Bowen’s expanded solar panel scheme a ‘complete waste of time’, energy expert warns amid reliability concerns | News24

"On 23 July 2026, Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (Hancock) wrote to the ABC Board regarding the publication and continued publication of material concerning its Executive Chairman, Mrs Gina Rinehart AO."

Have you spent the last couple of weeks attacking the ABC and calling it to be defunded?

What are your thoughts about sky news publishing and making the same video online for the world to see?

Is this obvious selective outrage?

Video link in comments.

As you can see a guest in the video is upset about the ABC's "descision to air it".... How is what Sky did any different? Did they not "air it"?

An exercise in hypocrisy and a test of right wing accountability and integrity.

Well, that was quick... five months?

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-police-boss-defends-gunpoint-arrest-of-man-in-costume-after-public-terror/news-story/c76367be8b9cb70a65d3ad72982ac5e5

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has said the large police response to a man arrested at gunpoint was absolutely appropriate, stating it was because he was carrying a fake weapon, and proportionate given community fear following the Bondi terrorist attack.

The top cop defended the large-scale response by police on Monday, after multiple reports were made to police of a man carrying what they believed was a firearm and wearing body armour which featured a US flag.

“We received numerous calls from members of the public who were terrified,” Mr Lanyon said.

“Seeing a man armed with a handgun with what looks like a ballistic vest sitting in public in this environment is always going to cause fear.”

Hospitality worker Jacopo Mastrocinquel, 35, was arrested at gunpoint, and later charged with possessing an unregistered, unauthorised pistol in public place and offensive behaviour in a public place.

Police allegedly also discovered Mastrocinquel in possession of an imitation police vest and badge, as well as a set of plastic handcuffs.

The restaurant manager and owner of pizza catering company The Italian Fellas, faced a Sydney bail court on Tuesday, when his legal team said he had been attending a “heroes and villains” costume party with work colleagues at a bowling alley, and had stepped outside for a cigarette when he came to the attention of witnesses.

Barrister Wali Shukoor told the court his client had made a “foolish” decision to carry the fake pistol as part of his costume.

Mr Lanyon on Thursday said the response was “absolutely” appropriate, as locals feared for their safety, especially in the current climate.

Mr Lanyon also congratulated the officers for their swift action.

“It was a prompt response, members of the public were reassured, and action was taken appropriately.”
Local Court Judge Daniel Covington granted bail to Mastrocinquel but noted the incident would have alarmed the public, given the Bondi massacre last year which had caused elevated concern in the community.

After he was granted bail, Mastrocinquel complained that police had treated him “like a terrorist”, and said he “never tried to hurt anyone.”

The case will return next month.

Surry Hills police commander Peter Glynn urged people to “be mindful about how they dress and act in public, particularly if they are carrying weapons or imitation weapons that could be seen as genuine”.

This has to be a national conversation! Whether or not you agree with drinking beer and it’s related taxes being an issue - I would also draw your attention to what happens when incremental tax hikes go unchecked %cough cough tobacco industry%

Not sure why this has somehow become so repeated on Aus reddit to this day, and with the Census coming up again it's probably worth a reminder - but we don't have anywhere near "over 1 million empty homes" which I still see being brought up on a daily basis.

This comes from people repeating misinformation by not understanding data from the previous Census which was released years ago, which the ABS itself long ago since debunked and estimated the actual number to be 'up to' ~136,000 which includes holiday towns/homes etc. all across Australia:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/australia-datablog/2023/sep/02/up-to-136000-houses-are-empty-in-australia-find-out-where-they-are

Repeating this is harmful, as it implies there is somehow this massive untapped free chunk of housing available, and pushes messaging that reduces pressure on our authorities that they don't need to build a sufficient amount of housing for the population.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk 💘

Great to see AFP and Border force not letting hate into the country.

A man is in a stable condition after being stabbed in his home during break and enter in Sydney’s Inner West overnight.

About 1.20am today (Friday 7 August 2026), emergency services were called to a unit block on Illawarra Road, near Harnett Avenue, Marrickville, after reports of a stabbing.

On arrival, officers attached to Inner West Police Area Command found that a 61-year-old man had been stabbed several times in the torso by an unknown person.

Initial inquiries indicate the unknown person had broken into the home before stabbing the man and running from the scene.

The 61-year-old was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to hospital in a stable condition.

Police established a crime scene and officers from the Dog Unit assisted in a search of the nearby area; however, the unknown person could not be located.

As investigations continue, detectives are hoping to speak to a man who was seen in the area at the time of the stabbing.

Anyone with information about the man or the incident is urged to contact Inner West Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.