Australian SAS soldier 'took souvenirs from dead Afghani'

CANBERRA - Australian Defence Force chief Peter Cosgrove is looking into claims that an SAS soldier took a turban and gun off a dead Afghan man after a bungled operation.

Time magazine has reported the soldier was part of a patrol that killed 11 innocent Afghan tribesmen and injured 16 others during the war on terror in Afghanistan in 2002.

The soldier was accused of souveniring the turban and gun of one of the dead villagers and was asked to show cause why he should not be discharged, the report said.

General Cosgrove has told a Senate committee the defence department had investigated the patrol's tactical actions and found them to be in accordance with the rules of engagement.

Asked by Labour senator John Faulkner if any disciplinary action had been taken against the soldier involved in the alleged souveniring, General Cosgrove said he wanted to find out more details about the claims and if they were true.

"Some internal aspects of patrol ... were investigated fully at the time and appropriate disciplinary action was initiated," General Cosgrove said.

"For the protection for ourselves and their families, the ADF (Australian Defence Force) does not normally publicly discuss the details of internal investigations and any disciplinary actions taken.

"We treat these issues confidentially in order to allow the correct and appropriate application of military law."

The magazine article also published for the first time the rules of engagement for the Australian SAS during Operation Slipper, the code name for the post-September 11 Afghanistan mission.

General Cosgrove said revealing such information publicly was in breach of the Official Secrets Act.

- AAP