Australian military personnel who spoke out against alleged war crimes in Afghanistan said Friday they felt vindicated by an inquiry that called for possible prosecution of troops, while the country reacted with shame and anger at the findings' severity.
A report published Thursday found Australian special forces allegedly killed 39 unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan, with senior commandos forcing junior soldiers to kill defenseless captives in order to "blood" them for combat.
The report recommended referring 19 current and former soldiers for potential prosecution, in a development that prompted anguish in Australia which usually honors its military history with fervor.