DISTURBING PHOTO SHOWS AUSSIE SOLDIERS SEEN DRINKING BEER OUT OF A DEAD TALIBAN’S PROSTHETIC LEG

Wed 02 December 2020:

Shocking pictures purportedly show an Australian SAS trooper drinking beer from a dead Taliban fighter’s prosthetic leg in Afghanistan.

The unofficial bar known as the Fat Lady’s Arms, was set up in 2009 inside Australia’s special forces base in Tarin Kowt, the capital of Uruzgan province.

Reports two years ago claimed a prosthetic leg brought back as a trophy from Afghanistan was used as a drinking vessel at SAS headquarters in Perth.

Now photos published by The Guardian purport to show the same leg shortly after it was taken from a Taliban fighter killed in a special forces raid in Uruzgan province in 2009.

One allegedly shows a senior SAS soldier – who is still serving – downing beer from the false limb. Another shows two other servicemen dancing with it.

#EXCLUSIVE: Photo reveals Australian soldier drinking beer out of dead Taliban fighter’s prosthetic leg https://t.co/ub6ZAI43bb

— Guardian Australia (@GuardianAus) December 1, 2020

The leg travelled with the SASR 2 squadron at all times, one former trooper told The Guardian.

He said: “Wherever the Fat Lady’s Arms was set up, then that’s where the leg was kept and used occasionally for drinking out of.”

Later the leg was mounted on a wooden plaque under the heading Das Boot, alongside an Iron Cross – a medal worn in Nazi Germany.

The soldier claimed this was tolerated by senior commanders, who would occasionally visit the bar. And some commanders are alleged to have joined in sculling with the leg after it was returned to Perth HQ.

The disclosure comes after special forces members were implicated in a war crimes inquiry on Afghanistan released last month by the Australian Defense Ministry. At least 13 soldiers have received termination notices.

The soldiers are accused of being involved in the killing of 39 Afghan civilians. In another picture, the soldiers are seen posing with the leg.

The revelations, which possibly qualify as war crimes, have triggered condemnation with many seeking justice for the victims. Officials from Afghanistan, Turkey and China have demanded a thorough probe, saying the accused soldiers should be brought to justice.

The bombshell allegations have been seized upon by the Chinese government amid a tense trade stand-off with Australia.

Read more:

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Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian sparked outrage yesterday when he posted a mocked-up image of a man dressed as an Australian soldier holding a bloody knife to an Afghan child’s throat.

Aussie prime minister Scott Morrison called the tweet “repugnant” and demanded an apology from Beijing.

Instead China issued a blistering response today accusing Mr Morrison of “overreacting”.

VIDEO SHOWS AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER SHOT UNARMED AFGHAN AT CLOSE RANGE

Abdul Bari Naeemi, a human rights activist in southeastern Afghanistan where most of the Australian forces were based, told Anadolu Agency the images would only further fuel hatred toward foreign troops in Afghanistan.

“Their [foreign forces] image is already dented by the revelations [of report released by Australia],” he said. “Now these images depicting an inhuman act, would only fuel anger and enmity and prove many previously unconfirmed reports of abuses as true.”