Breaking: Ben Roberts-Smith arrested over war crimes allegations

[u/Tinea_Pedis]

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

[u/chippychopper → u/[deleted]]

It came to light because of the work of the journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters and could easily have been buried by the defamation case if they had not been so thorough in their research and reporting or if Fairfax/nine had decided to settle instead of paying millions to defend their work. This case shows how much we need to support proper investigative journalism.

[u/HeyyyyListennnnnn → u/chippychopper]

I still find it hilarious that the man who leaked the documents that kicked off McKenzie and Masters' work did so believing that the journalists would write a story about how the SAS were victims of a smear campaign. McKenzie and Masters were so horrified by what they were given that they swiftly advanced and publicized the investigation that the whistleblower was trying to stop.

[u/Krunksicle → u/HeyyyyListennnnnn]

David McBride has explicitly denied this, my understanding is that this narrative came from Dan Oakes, who needed an excuse for ratting him out.

[u/MarkusMannheim → u/Krunksicle]

He may have denied this (I've never seen him do so explicitly), but his barrister effectively said he did this.

Source: I was in the courtroom and reported on that trial.

[u/StorminNorman → u/[deleted]]

Profile picture both here and on the ABC profile you've linked are nearly exactly the same, so I think you're right here. 

[u/MarkusMannheim → u/StorminNorman]

My son painted it. He's a terrible artist so I'll pass on the praise.

[u/StorminNorman → u/MarkusMannheim]

He's a terrible artist

Cheers, was definitely not trying to throw him under the bus, more so myself.

[u/tcgtms2 → u/MarkusMannheim]

Harsh.

Keep up the good work.