A man widely considered Australia’s most decorated living soldier could spend the rest of his life in prison after authorities accused him of committing war crimes while he was in Afghanistan as a member of the country’s elite Special Air Service Regiment.
Police on Monday arrested Ben Roberts-Smith, 47, at Sydney Airport after disembarking from a flight arriving from Brisbane.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said Mr. Roberts-Smith will be charged with five counts of murder as a war crime. It carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
“It will be alleged the victims were not taking part in hostilities at the time of their alleged murder in Afghanistan,” Commissioner Barrett said during a press conference following the arrest. “It will be alleged the victims were detained, unarmed, and were under the control of [Australian Defense Forces] members when they were killed.”
The Afghans were shot by Mr. Roberts-Smith or by his subordinates who were acting on his orders, she said.
The investigation that led to his arrest was conducted by the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator, an independent government agency established to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Australian military personnel in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.
“It has been a complex investigation that has been undertaken thoroughly and meticulously,” Commissioner Barrett said. “We understand these charges will have an impact on several communities in Australia.”
Australian Sen. Pauline Hanson said he remains steadfast in her support for Mr. Roberts-Smith following his arrest.
“Ben was disgracefully arrested in front of his twin 15-year-old girls. He will be held in jail for seven days,” Ms. Hanson posted on X. “He gets one bail application. If that application fails, they can hold him for two years.”
She denounced the inquiry that led to Monday’s arrest, saying the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator “spent $300 million over 10 years to get to this point.”
Mr. Roberts-Smith joined the Australian Army in 1996 and was later selected for the country’s Special Air Service Regiment. He deployed to Afghanistan six times between 2006 and 2012.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross, Australia’s highest military decoration, in 2011 after single-handedly storming two Taliban machine-gun nests to save his pinned-down patrol.
“His selfless actions in circumstances of great peril while facing intense fire directly enabled his patrol to break the enemy’s hold on the target area and seize the initiative. With total disregard for his own safety, Corporal Roberts-Smith displayed the highest order of gallantry,” the award citation stated.
Commissioner Barrett said the allegations are confined to “a very small section of our trusted and respected [Australian Defense Forces,] which keeps this country safe.”
“The overwhelming majority of our ADF do our country proud,” she said. “Today’s charges are not reflective of the majority members who serve under our Australian flag with honor, distinction and with the values of a democratic nation.”
In 2018, Mr. Roberts-Smith sued three Australian newspapers for reporting that he had committed war crimes in Afghanistan. A judge later dismissed the case, saying the newspapers reporting on the allegations were substantially true.
Ms. Hanson said she would not “abandon him like so many other politicians” have done.
“Ben [and] his immediate and broader defense family need the Australian people’s support right now,” she wrote on X.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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