Arrested War Hero Faces War Crimes Charges

0:00Ben Robert Smith, Australia's most decorated soldier from Afghanistan and a Victoria cross-winner, got arrested at Sydney Airport over alleged war. Crimes This comes right before he's set to appear in court on Tuesday. He'd been at the center of a massive defamation battle, after newspapers called him out for supposedly killing unarmed civilians and bullying troops. During SAS missions, Robert Smith sued them hard, but the judge ruled on the balance of probabilities that he did commit four murders back then. Once hailed as a national hero, his rep took a huge hit from those Afghanistan allegations, shifting public views from pride to shock among vets in, everyday folks. He appealed the defamation loss all the way to the full federal court bench and even push for the high court, but both shut him down flat. Now with charges looming, outlets like Guardian Australia are pressing the Prime Minister's Office, Attorney General, and Special Investigator for answers on what's next in this saga. Stay informed with Sydney News Today, AI-powered updates.