Aussies 'on secret ops in Iraq' (cover-up)

[Nambe]

Herald and Weekly Times

AUSTRALIAN troops are conducting secret operations in Iraq that go far beyond the role revealed to the Australian public or the Opposition, according to a newspaper report today.

Between 30 and 40 specially-trained troops are involved in a US-led program that covers the full range of special operations, including counter-insurgency, kidnapping, demolition and protecting visiting VIPs, The Australian Financial Review says. ..

Sources in Australia, the US and France have confirmed the activities of the special operations group, the report says.

The Government said the majority of troops, including a Special Air Service squadron, were withdrawn from Iraq last May. ..

The paper says the program raises new questions about whether the Government has been honest with the public about what Australian troops are doing in Iraq and whether the previously undisclosed role helps or harms national security.

The program also complicates Labor's promise to bring troops home by Christmas, the newspaper says.

[aquart]

1. Kidnapping?

Kidnapping and what?

Kidnapping and cake?

Kidnapping and release?

kidnapping and torture?

Kidnapping and murder?

After you kidnap the target human, what do you do next?

[AP]

2. I have a friend who is a Gulf War 1 vet. This guy met a gulf war 2 vet

who told him that the Aussies have much better weapons than the Americans and it was because the Aussies weren't geveva convention signatories.

I don't think that's true. But, nonetheless, this gulf war 2 vet has seen some really deadly guns of a caliber and a range that, for whatever reason, the Americans aren't using, and the rumor that has gone around that the difference is because of the geneva convention, which is probably misinformation.

[babylon_system]

3. The Australians hold the sniper distance record in Afghanistan

They probably killed some shepherd but they blew his head off at a distance of almost 3 miles.
Oh well, their kids got some payback at the Bali nightclub attack.

It's an ugly world.

[interupt]

4. Interesting abou the Geneva Convention

Ive had a ferret around today and I can find any Australian signatory. I dont believe this fact alone allows the issue of firearms.

Wouldn't surprise me about the secret ops missions. THe Aussies were the first on the ground just before the bombing of Baghdad, according to our media taking out comms infrastructure.


I hate guns but you gotta admit the aussie Steyr AUG looks like a mean machine in the field.

Steyr Aussie AUG
http://www.greendevils.pl/technika_wojskowa/bron/steyr/steyr.html

Check this website out for ideas what the Aussie army use in the field.
http://www.mil-kit-review.com/html/other-kits.html

[lapfog_1]

5. Australia is a ratified signatory member of all 4 Geneva accords

http://www.icrc.org/eng/party_gc

Download the PDF and they are in Section 5, listed under
"ratifications"... there is a table, and Australia is listed,
along with the date for each protocol.

I have no idea what weapons Aussie special forces are standard,
but it would not be a surprise to me to find that they have superior
weapons to our standard issue. But I doubt seriously that there
are any restrictions regarding type of weapons or ammo that are
deployed by any army that come about because of the Geneva
convention.

Sounds like some good disinfo is running around our armed forces,
which would be useful if one wanted to get them to violate sections
of the Geneva convention, like say, in Abu Ghraib.

[AP]

6. I know. Which is why it's so interesting that the story was going around

among the soldiers that the Australians had better toys because the US's hands were tied because they were abiding to international law.

You can imagine why that might be the explanation (if it wasn't just an honest mistake).

[AP]

7. By the way, I think the G.C. does have a rule that you can't shoot anythin

bigger than a 50 calibers at a human being. That's from memory.

[dArKeR]

8. Report: Australians involved in US-led special operations

AFP , SYDNEY
Sunday, Aug 29, 2004,Page 5

Around 30 to 40 specially trained Australian soldiers are taking part in US-led covert jobs in Iraq, including kidnapping and the "full gamut" of special operations, a report said yesterday.

The Australian Financial Review's report contrasts with government claims that Australian forces are only carrying out a limited role in Iraq since most troops were withdrawn in May.

The 30 to 40 Australian troops engaged in the program were described as mainly "extremely fit young men" who already have training in the elite Special Air Service (SAS) or similar elite units.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/08/29/2003200711