War Hero to War Crimes Suspect: Roberts-Smith's Fall from Grace

0:00It's April 10th, Sydney News. Today starts now, AI-powered and ready. I'm Cory with the story. 15 years ago, Ben Robert Smith earned Australia's top military honor, the Victoria Cross for Bravery in combat. Now he's locked up on remand, facing five counts of war crimes tied to murders during his special air service regimen tours in Afghanistan from 2, 2006 to 2012. Journalists broke the story eight years back, with claims he killed or ordered kills on unarmed locals and prisoners. He fought back hard with a big defamation lawsuit, but lost at trial, on appeal, and even at the high court. His arrest hit Tuesday when federal police pulled him off a flight from Brisbane into Sydney. Supporters like Mining Boss Gina Reinhardt, politician Pauline Hanson, and even Elon Musk called it outrageous, saying soldiers space enough in war. Without the scrutiny, that view clashes with the laws of armed conflict every Aussie soldier learns, rules meant to shield civilians and captives no matter what.

1:03Robert Smith maintained his innocence as the case moves forward. This saga spotlights how we honor our troops, not just for guts, but for sticking to the code that keys wars from turning brutal. True Valor holds up under the toughest light.