Word: australian
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...Afghanistan, Australian special forces were something of a novelty to their US commanders. On one map in the main US command center in Afghanistan, they were denoted by a cut-out picture of Australian celebrity crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin. "It was pretty disheartening, says one trooper. "The way they did use us was very inappropriate...
...What happened during Redback Kilo Three's patrol is a war story the Australian Army would prefer to forget. During a gunfight many believe was the longest engagement by an SAS unit since the Vietnam war, the patrol's six members showed undoubted heroism. But their actions - which led to the deaths of those Afghan men - won no bravery awards. Instead they brought recriminations, investigations, and claims of command failures, insubordination, the killing of civilians, and the souveniring of trophies from the dead. Some troopers were disciplined, and the patrol leader resigned in disgust over what he believes...
...Australians' punishment is no consolation to villager Nan Gul, who was living in Zambar that day in May, 2002. "In our culture," he tells Time, "if you kill somebody, you must give them land, or a son and daughter in marriage to ease the burden of death." He said the same thing, he claims, to the Australian officer who arrived the day after the incident to apologize. "But we have had nothing from the foreigners, only empty promises...
...Afghanistan and crush the Taliban, who had provided sanctuary to the terrorists of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda. A key element of Australia's contribution to that coalition - a role known as Operation Slipper - was the legendary Special Air Service Regiment. Based in Perth, the regiment is the Australian Army's most highly trained and best equipped unit. It's said to cost more than $A1 million to train one of the 100 or so fighting men who make up each of its three regular, or Sabre, squadrons; they are experts in parachuting, deep-sea diving and waterborne assault...
...That's of little comfort to the Sabari villagers. The morning after the bombs fell, they say, Australian and U.S. officers drove into Zambar in their Humvees to apologize. They promised compensation, says Haji Khannamuddin, but three years on, not a penny has been paid. He and other village elders say most of the men killed on the mountainside that night were fathers. They leave behind almost 50 children, with no means of support other than handouts from fellow villagers. It's a terrible price to pay for somebody else's mistake...