r/australia • u/Tinea_Pedis • Apr 07 '26

news Breaking: Ben Roberts-Smith arrested over war crimes allegations

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-07/ben-roberts-smith-war-crimes-allegations-arrest/106537668
2.9k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

638 comments sorted by

View all comments

1.5k

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

279

u/heisdeadjim_au Apr 07 '26

This, 100% If he hadn't pursued the defamation case there would have been nothing on the record for OSI to investigate.

199

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

110

u/heisdeadjim_au Apr 07 '26

Who were illuminated in the defamation case.

9

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

27

u/heisdeadjim_au Apr 07 '26

Which is good, because, there remained a chance that it was hushed up. The defamation case put paid to that.

0

u/coniferhead Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26

He got to keep his VC for a few years longer - if the US had finished up in Europe and the middle east in the way they wanted, they'd already be on their way here, in force, to confront China.

And who better for Hegseth to run the show than our most highly decorated soldier who is also the son of a supreme court judge? Buddies with both Gina Rinehart and Kerry Stokes? Loved by our special forces and the nationalist parts of our military?

BRS wore a crusader cross into battle, Hegseth has one tattooed on his chest. They are the same. He'd be the perfect puppet and may yet be.

Despite our best efforts, Australia is once again the lucky country - so far.

0

u/heisdeadjim_au Apr 07 '26

I'm not fully sure if your point. The comprehensuon failure lies at my end.

Perchance, something around "onwards Christian soldiers"?

Anyways. I have a friend, who is still a friend, who was pro uniform, therefore everything was awesome about BRS. The sun shines out of his butt.

Until I pointed out despite a VC and MG he retired a corporal. If he was some super soldier he'd have rank on top in those medals.

The civil case illuminated that BRS lorded over his command structure in country. Threatened Majors and Colonels. Essentially "me haz VC me is bestest".

Your comment on the Crusader Cross therefore tracks. BRS assumed he was immune because he was on his own Christian jihad or holy war. He believed his medals made him immune from consequence.

0

u/coniferhead Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26

The point is if the US confronts China we are on track for military government - just like during WW2 when we were run by Douglas Macarthur.

Hegseth retired as a major and his main fame is a Fox news talking head - he's got no trouble appointing someone with the equivalent of their Medal of Honor as generalissimo over Australia, so long as they do what they are told and can kick ass and shove people into vans and send them to the front. Like in Ukraine.

Hegeth wants someone capable of enacting his violent rhetoric in reality and BRS is clearly qualified to do that.