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If you're seeing this, I'm in jail. (www.youtube.com)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone to c/australia@aussie.zone

34 comments fedilink hide all child comments

(Not me) Official video from David McBride's Official Youtube channel. If you don't know who he is - I don't blame you, with how little coverage this story has gotten

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[–] unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 25 points 6 months ago (1 children)

No you:

According to the affidavit, McBride wanted Australians to know that “Afghan civilians were being murdered and Australian military leaders were at the very least turning the other way and at worst tacitly approving this behaviour”.

He continued: “At the same time, soldiers were being improperly prosecuted as a smokescreen to cover [leadership’s] inaction and failure to hold reprehensible conduct to account.”

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/27/war-crimes-whistleblower-david-mcbride-reveals-why-he-went-to-the-media

[+] downpunxx@fedia.io -12 points 6 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 16 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Riddle me this then: Why would he hand evidence of war crimes being committed to a journalist if HE wanted people to know that soldiers weren't committing war crimes?

That Four Corners episode came out fairly recently. Tell me, what motives would Dan Oakes, an investigative journalist with a reputation, have to disparage a whistleblower who is about to be prosecuted? I dunno, maybe he doesn't want to be the target of prosecution himself and distancing from him is protection?

Why do you keep referring to the BBC article? It's quite poorly worded and oversimplified for an international audience. You won't find many articles about David McBride's motives from before the case because he was secret then, the ABC gave him up.

[+] downpunxx@fedia.io -10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)

So it's either A:

David McBride is an idiot who misinterpreted what was happening as a defence lawyer investigating war crimes
War crimes happened
Commanders and Politicians aren't smart enough to cover up war crimes committed by PR exercises like Ben Roberts-Smith by investigating otherwise innocent soldiers

Or B:

David McBride is not an idiot
War crimes happened
Commanders and Politicians are smart enough to attempt to cover up war crimes committed by the likes of Ben Roberts-Smith (Australia's most decorated soldier, was used to 'sell' the war to Australians).

I choose B, but hey, you know better because of some random BBC article and an ABC hit piece