David McBride
Allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan
Major David McBride served two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a military lawyer in 2011 and 2013. What he saw there in relation to serious war crimes disturbed him and he took his serious concerns to the Inspector-General of Defence. Not receiving a satisfactory outcome from reporting his concerns also to Members of Parliament and others, he took the information to the ABC who broadcast it via a Four Corners program in mid 2017. He was charged in September 2018.
He has since been subject in his hearings to similar bogus ‘national security’ restrictions and secrecy as Bernard Collaery and Witness K. David’s crucial public interest defence has been adjourned to September 20 and we will be showing our support for him at the ACT Supreme court on that day.
Given that an inquiry, the Brereton Inquiry, has been undertaken and that investigations are now underway into specific alleged war crimes, it is outrageous that David is still facing charges for bringing the crimes to public attention. Might he be in jail with the perpetrators of those war crimes? And since when has reporting a crime become a crime? This unjust prosecution should be dropped immediately.
David will be presenting his public interest disclosure defence in the ACT Supreme Court starting on 24 October. There will be an action at the court that morning.
