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The Inspector-General of the Australian Defense Force Afghanistan (IGADF) Inquiry Report, commonly known as the Brereton Report, released in November 2020, detailed how Australian special forces in Afghanistan had committed at least 39 illegal killings.
The report’s findings, while not a surprise to most Afghans, shook Australia’s defense community and the government, and further diminished Australia’s role in the region. The report, while redacted, detailed how the killings were the result of “criminal behaviour” that was “commenced, committed, continued and concealed at the patrol commander level.”
The Inspector-General concluded that it is “the most disgraceful episode in Australia’s military history.”
A group of brewers carrying out an audacious deep-sea experiment were left heartbroken after they discovered their stored barrels of beer had been stolen from their underwater hiding spot.
The Argentinian brewers, from Mar Del Plata, had stored 700 litres of strong dark ale attacked to a sunken Soviet-era ship on the ocean floor.
But the day before they were due to recover the ocean-aged beer, thieves absconded with the lot, the New York Times reported.
Hundreds of litres of beer have been stolen from a sunken ship off the Argentina coast.(Andrew Quilty)
READ MORE: I started crying, said Carlos Brelles, who runs the Thalassa Diving School in Mar del Plata.
On the outskirts of Kabul, we detour around a bridge that recently collapsed. The asphalt starts to fall apart, and four lanefuls of traffic are soon jockeying for position on what’s left of the two-lane highway. Ghafari’s bulletproof SUV lurches to an abrupt halt, boxed in by incoming trucks on one side and impatient southbound cars on the other: a bad situation. Her driver jumps out, AK-47 slung over his shoulder, to clear a path out of the jam, leaving the mayor unguarded.
“The Taliban like to hide and attack from the trees and homes along the road,” Ghafari says, scanning her surroundings through the bullet-riddled windows of her car. “Anything can happen here.”
What’s new? Afghan peace talks have stalled in their opening rounds, as all parties wait for the incoming Biden administration to reveal what changes it might make to U.S. Afghanistan policy, particularly vis-à-vis the peace process and the U.S. military presence.
Why does it matter? The U.S. has been a primary driver of progress in peace talks, nudging two mistrustful parties forward. Peace in Afghanistan will ultimately depend on the conflict parties’ willingness to compromise, but Washington’s actions are also of vital importance.
What should be done? The U.S. should commit to continued support for the peace talks and resolve short-term challenges – including expectations of a military withdrawal by May 2021. The Taliban should commit to a significant reduction of violence, and Afghan political leaders should continue working toward a unified approach to peace.