![]() Unlike their elite colleagues in the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), the commandos emerged largely unscathed from the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force's inquiry into alleged war crimes led by Army Reserve Major General and NSW Supreme Court Judge Paul Brereton.īut this video raises serious questions about their behaviour in Afghanistan. "That wasn't consistent with the 2 Commando that I knew, and that I hold in such high regard," he said. While Kolomeitz holds the commandos in high esteem, he acknowledges that the "quota" video isn't a good look. "I don't for a moment believe they're talking about some sort of kill quota, not genuinely talking about that," Mr Kolomeitz says.įormer military lawyer Glenn Kolomeitz deployed to Afghanistan with Australian commandos and says he regards them highly. It was his job to counsel Australia's SAS and commandos in the rules of engagement and law of armed conflict. Glenn Kolomeitz deployed as an Australian Defence Force legal officer to Afghanistan as part of the Special Operations Task Group. "That would be unacceptable to even joke about it. "You can't even talk like that, frankly," the former officer said. Others raised questions about whether it could refer to a kill count.Ī former senior officer on that rotation told ABC Investigations that any talk about a quota should have been "a trigger straight away" to stamp it out. One says he has never heard the term, is disappointed to hear any mention of it in the unit, and suggests it could be "guys trying to prove themselves". So, what is the quota?ĪBC Investigations spoke to former commandos who deployed to Afghanistan. In all, there are a dozen mentions of a quota, or hitting the quota, or meeting the quota, in just 90 seconds. The video lasts a minute and a half and ends with the cameraman turning the lens on himself. "Are we going to hit the quota tonight, big guy?" The quota is 10," he tells the cameraman.Īnother commando emerges from his room and into the camera's focus. The cameraman returns to the hall and spots a new interviewee. "There's going to be some f***ing killing going on," the soldier replies softly. "What's going to go tonight? Ready for 'Operation Final Job'?" he asks a comrade who is getting ready in his room. Please read the terms and conditions to work out if they are the best methods of communication for you.Īfter his first interview, the commando holding the camera continues down the gloomy hallway of the accommodation block. Contact Mark Willacy using ProtonMail system is 100 per cent secure, but ProtonMail and Signal can be used to protect your identity by using end-to-end encryption.Please use this form to get in contact with the ABC Investigations team, or if you require more secure communication, please choose an option on the confidential tips page.Neither the platoon commander nor any officers appear to be present. In the video obtained by ABC Investigations, these commandos are once again preparing to head outside the wire on another dangerous mission and capture their preparations on camera for posterity. On one mission, they torch more than a tonne of Taliban opium. Together with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and soldiers from Afghanistan's National Interdiction Unit, they have hit drug lab after drug lab. On this rotation, the men of the 2nd Commando Regiment have been targeting one of the main weapons used by the Taliban to fund its insurgency – opium. During this rotation, the 39th Australian will die in Afghanistan.īy the time Australian special forces leave Afghanistan a year later, special forces soldiers will account for about half of all Australian casualties. In the 11 years of conflict to this point, the Taliban have already taken a heavy toll on the Australians. ![]() It seems no matter how many of their fighters are killed on the battlefield, more emerge to take their place. They wear no uniforms and hide among civilians. Unlike the Australian commandos, the Taliban insurgents do not adhere to the laws of armed conflict. It is late 2012, and the Taliban enemy shows no sign of wavering. "The quota! The quota must be met," says the soldier holding the camera. "Woo!" cheers another commando behind him as two others holler in the background. "I believe we're going to get the quota," he says calmly. Through the green and black camouflage paint smeared on his face, his eyes lock on the camera. The commando stops, leans over, and props his elbow on a shelf. "Final thoughts while we rock out pre-job?" asks his Australian comrade holding the camera.
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