Australian soldiers mutilated corpses of Afghan insurgents.

[Kompromat]

What he said is a view held by some experts.

They aren't mistreating the bodies ie inflicting unnecessary damage to them which is what is illegal under the Geneva convention. They cut off the hands for a valid reason.

The Taliban cut off peoples heads for fun and couldn't care less about the rule of law let alone international law.

Valid reason of fingerprinting? - lets not kid ourselves.

Mutilating the dead is a war crime 'by definition'. If ADF wishes to find a grey area to protect the team that did it, then its their choice, however it doesn't make it legal.

 

[xdrive]

Valid reason of fingerprinting? - lets not kid ourselves.

Mutilating the dead is a war crime 'by definition'. If ADF wishes to find a grey area to protect the team that did it, then its their choice, however it doesn't make it legal.

It's not considered mutilation. But I'm sure if any crime has been committed by these soldiers they will be punished by the ADF, after all, it's the ADF hierarchy who reported the incident and reported it to the media.

 

[xdrive]

I wasn't talking about an autopsy

But i was in my post, so i'm not sure why you are trying to divert off from what im talking about.

there surgical procedures on limbs and you tried to compare the mutilation and severing by Australian troops of a hand of a dead combatant as a surgical procedure which is invalid.

No i didn't? You have just completely invented that which is just bizarre. I was clearly talking about an Autopsy to which you then responded pretending i was talking about surgical procedures.

the hand removal was just an act of barbarity and savagery, besides if you want to take someone's finger print you can do it on the spot with ink and a certain type of paper.

It's hardly barbaric or "savagery" the hands weren't removed for fun, like the Taliban do. They were ordered to be removed so they could be taken back to the base for finger printing.

Special forces don't have time to dick around on the battlefield in combat. If the hands were cut off for fun, like the Taliban do then maybe it would be concerning, but I personally don't have a problem with the hands being taken off a dead Taliban terrorist(who thrives on killing women and children for fun) for the purposes of finger printing and identification.

I would compare it to an Autopsy. It wasn't an unnecessary thing to do.

 

[A1Kaid]

What an absolutely idiotic case in point, that the soldiers severed the hand so they can take it back to base for finger printing. Finger printing can be done anywhere easily with ink and paper, to suggest that it could have only been done is if you cut off the hand sure is some Stone Age reasoning...

Now they want to try and defend and justify their actions rather than condemning. We all know many in the Taliban are bad with their beheadings, this mutilation is also bad.

 

[Kompromat]

It's not considered mutilation. But I'm sure if any crime has been committed by these soldiers they will be punished by the ADF, after all, it's the ADF hierarchy who reported the incident and reported it to the media.

Lets hope so. Among world forces, i have high regard for the Australians, for their conduct of war. They better live up to their standards.

 

[xdrive]

What an absolutely idiotic case in point, that the soldiers severed the hand so they can take it back to base for finger printing. Finger printing can be done anywhere easily with ink and paper, to suggest that it could have only been done is if you cut off the hand sure is some Stone Age reasoning...

Now they want to try and defend and justify their actions rather than condemning. We all know many in the Taliban are bad with their beheadings, this mutilation is also bad.

They use more sophisticated equipment than "ink and paper" and they aren't going to carry it into battle. I'm sure if they weren't in the middle of battle they could have taken the body back, but obviously the only option was to cut off the hands. Like i said, if it was done for "fun" then obviously it would be outrageous but considering it was done as a necessity with a valid reason and also it was performed on a Taliban Terroist scumbag, it's not that outrageous.

I expect to see equally outraged posts from you in the future when the Taliban cuts off a child's head for fun. Something tells me i won't.

 

[SirHatesALot]

Soldiers must have been exhausted.

 

[Tshering22]

Ignorance is a bliss they say.


''The prohibition of mutilating dead bodies in international armed conflicts is covered by the war crime of “committing outrages upon personal dignity” under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, which according to the Elements of Crimes also applies to dead persons (see commentary to Rule 90).[8]

Many military manuals prohibit the mutilation or other maltreatment of the dead.[9] Mutilation of the dead is an offence under the legislation of many States.[10] In several trials after the Second World War, the accused were convicted on charges of mutilation of dead bodies and cannibalism.[11] The prohibition on mutilating the dead is further supported by official statements and other practice.[12]''

Geneva convention.

Customary IHL - Rule 113. Treatment of the Dead

What about IAF pilot Nachiketa who war tortured and mutilated? What about capt. Saurabh Kalia who was mutilated to death by PA?

His body was sent with his eyes and body parts missing and signs of pure torture as per the concluding report.

These things do happen and they happen all around.

There are rules governing but most militaries don't give a damn.

Put yourself in the Australian's boots: You just finished a deadly firefight with the talibunnies (assume they are against you here). You saw them shoot your best friend of years, and saw his dead body falling limp in the ground. Now you see your mentor and CO falling beside you whom you have admired and seen upto as a role model for yourself.

You're emotionally charged and attack with full force. Your team manages to kill every single enemy during the fight. But the ball of anger that is there in your stomach will some day or sometime come bursting out. That, is what happens.