Australia punished soldiers over Nazi flag incident in Afghanistan: PM
Source: Reuters
JUNE 14, 2018 / 2:20 AM / UPDATED 13 MINUTES AGO
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian soldiers who flew a Nazi swastika flag over their fighting vehicle in Afghanistan more than a decade ago were “wrong” and punished at the time, Australia’s prime minister said on Thursday, after a picture of the incident emerged.
The flag was “briefly raised” above the vehicle in Afghanistan in 2007, Australia’s defense department said in a statement. The flag was clearly visible flying over the bonnet of a jeep in a photo published by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
“The flag obviously was removed and the personnel involved were disciplined,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in the Tasmanian state capital of Hobart, without specifying their punishment.
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“It is completely unacceptable to use a flag of this nature,” Australia’s defense minister, Marise Payne, said in an emailed statement.
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