SAS Hero Charged with War Crimes

0:00On April 7th, former SAS soldier and Victoria Crosswinner Ben Robert Smith, now 47, faces five charges of war crimes for murders in Afghanistan. He got arrested Tuesday at Sydney Domestic Airport, where federal police pulled him off a plane right on the tarmac. The charges stemmed from a joint probe by the Australian federal police and the office of the special investigator. The allegations hid hard. Robert Smith supposedly caused the deaths of two unarmed detainees under Australian control between 2009 and 2012. He's also accused of helping or ordering others to kill on three other occasions, with victims shot either by him or troops acting under him. This comes from the OSI's massive look into dozens of alleged ADF war crimes in Afghanistan. They've tackled 53 cases so far, wrapping up 39 provisionally, but it's tough with events over a decade old and no autopsy reports. From halfway around the world, Robert Smith is just the second XSAS trooper charged domestically,

1:04following Oliver Schultz last year for a similar 2012 killing. Reactions poured in quick. Prime Minister Anthony Albany stayed silent, stressing no political meddling in court matters. One nation's Pauline Hanson backed him fully, blasting the $300 million price tag over 10 years. Dean's leader David Schubrich called it a stark reminder of war's heavy toll. Investigations continue into possible others involved, and Robert Smith has his day in court ahead. This saga underscores the long shadow of those Afghan missions still unfolding here at home.