Today on ANZAC Day, we commemorate all Australians and
New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and
peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all
those who have served".
We will remember 3 Australian Diggers who were killed by
an Afghan Sergeant on August 29, 2012. We hope that justice will be carried out
by putting the killer to death and we support the victims’ families to carry
out the death sentence.
 |
Today we remember,
Private Robert Poate, Sapper James Martin and Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic,
all three men were deployed as part of the 3RAR Task Group. On the evening of
the 29th of August 2012 at around 9.45pm (local time) at Patrol Base
"Wahab" in the Baluchi Valley region in Uruzgan province, a rouge
Afghan soldier in the Australian camp collected an assault rifle, took cover
and fired about 30 rounds into a group of
Australian's who were only about five metres away. Private Robert Poate age 23
from Canberra and Sapper James Martin age 21 from Perth were killed instantly.
Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic age 40, a father of two from Brisbane died
while being evacuated for medical treatment. Two other Australian soldiers were
wounded in the "Insider Attack". Private Robert Poate and Sapper
James Martin were on their first deployments to Afghanistan. Lance Corporal
Stjepan Milosevic, "Milo" to his mates had previously served in Iraq
in 2010 was also on his first deployment to Afghanistan. All three men were
based at Brisbane's Gallipoli Barracks. Their sacrifice will never be
forgotten.
"Lest We Forget" |
Families want death
penalty to be carried out for Diggers’ assassin
National Security
Editor
11:19PM April 23, 2020
The families of three Australian Diggers
killed by a rogue Afghan National Army sergeant have pleaded with the Australian
government to ensure the killer is not released as part of a historic peace
deal that could see up to 5000 Taliban prisoners walk free.
Hugh Poate, whose son, Robert, was
killed when Sergeant Hekmatullah opened fire on Australian soldiers in a so-called
‘’green-on-blue’’ attack in 2012, said he feared justice for his son’s murder
could become a casualty of Trump administration peace negotiations with the
Taliban.
Private Robert Poate, Lance Corporal
Stjepan “Rick” Milosevic, 40, and Sapper James Martin, 21, were killed after
Hekmatullah opened fire on them as they played cards at a forward operating
base north of Australia’s main base at Tarin Kowt. Two other Australian
soldiers were wounded in the attack.
As part of a deal being negotiated
between Washington and the Taliban, the Afghan government is to release 5000
Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1000 Afghan security force prisoners.
 |
Janny and Hugh Poate,
parents of fallen soldier Robert Poate. Picture: AAPSource:AAP
|
Mr Poate said he feared Hekmatullah
might be among those set free. “The Taliban have
already indicated that they want their senior commanders who have been
responsible for killings of infidels released, and he killed three,’’ he
said.
He said Hekmatullah’s original sentence
— death by hanging — was never carried out, elevating concern that
Hekmatullah’s release was only a matter of time.
“I want this bastard to be
hanged,’’ Mr
Poate said. “We all do. That was the sentence, I want
Afghan law to be carried out and it hasn’t. Why not is an open question to the
minister.’’
 |
Hekmatullah in uniform and armed. Picture:
Supplied Source:Supplied
|
 |
| [PHOTO SOURCE: http://teamuzunovmedia.blogspot.com/2013/09/officer-incompetence-in-afghanistan.html] |
The hunt for Hekmatullah became the
overriding priority for the Australian Defence Force in the aftermath of the
killing.
Australia’s military and intelligence
agencies feared that Hekmatullah was headed for Pakistan, sparking a frantic
race to get him before he crossed the border. Every SASR patrol in the country
was tasked with killing or capturing the rogue gunman and every asset, such as
helicopters and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance drones, was given
over to the hunt.
Hekmatullah was arrested by Pakistan’s
Inter-Services Intelligence and held in detention for six months before being
handed over to Afghan authorities.
An Afghan court sentenced him to death.
 |
Suzanne Thomas (right), mother of fallen
soldier James Martin and Kelly Walton, wife of fallen soldier Rick Milosevic.
Picture: AAP Source: AAP
|
Kelly Walton, the partner of Lance
Corporal Milosevic, said she spent seven years worrying that Hekmatullah would
cheat justice. “Right from the time he was apprehended
and not killed immediately, it has always been my fear that he will get out on
a prisoner swap or some kind of agreement with the Taliban,’’ Ms Walton
told The Australian.
“Really, the only assurance we
can get is his execution.’’
 |
Suzanne Thomas and her son Sapper James Martin
who was murdered. Source: News
Limited
|
Suzanne Thomas, the mother of Sapper
Martin, said she too would like to see the death
sentence carried out. “The sentence was considered and it was relevant and
reasonable,’’ she said.
“A lot of the people there at
the time would like to see it happen.’’
A spokeswoman for the ADF said the
Australian government had received assurances from the Afghan government it was
“fully seized’’ of the importance of keeping Hekmatullah locked up.
William Maley, of the Australian
National University, said the prisoner swap clause had been foisted on the
Afghan government by Washington and enjoyed little support in Kabul: “If
Hekmatullah is ever released, it will be entirely the responsibility of the
US.’’
 |
The five Aussie Diggers ... Lance Corporal
Stjepan Milosevic, 40, Sapper James Thomas Martin, 21, and Private Robert
Poate, 23, Private Nathanael Galagher, 23, and Special Operations Task Group soldiers
Lance Corporal Mervyn McDonald, 30. Picture: Gary Ramage. Source: News Limited
|
THE CASE: On 28 August 2012, an Australian platoon
of 24 soldiers travelled 23 kilometres north of Tarin Kowt to Wahab Patrol Base
in Afghanistan to join an Afghan National Army ('ANA') outpost in Taliban
territory. The mission was to engage in a 10 day mentor exercise with the ANA
and to assist coordination with others in the region. On the evening of 29
August 2012, a single ANA soldier, Sergeant Hekmatullah, attacked the
Australian soldiers while they were relaxing and playing cards. Hekmatullah
fired from an M16-A2 assault rifle, fatally wounding Sapper James Martin aged
21, Private Robert Poate aged 23 and Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic aged 40
years, and injuring two others.
Stjepan Milosevic, 40, a lance
corporal from 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment serving with the 3rd Battalion, Royal
Australian Regiment TG (3 RAR TG) was shot and killed by a member of the
Afghan National Army on 30 August 2012.
Robert Hugh Frederick Poate, 23, a
private from 6 RAR serving with the 3 RAR Task Group was shot and killed by a
member of the Afghan National Army on 30 August 2012.
James Thomas Martin, 21, a sapper from
the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER) serving with the 3 RAR Task Group was
shot and killed by a member of the Afghan National Army on 30 August 2012
OTHER LINKS: