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Prince Harry's shocking body count in Afghanistan

<p>Prince Harry has gone into detail about his time in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban, revealing how many people he killed. </p> <p>The Duke of Sussex served in two tours of Afghanistan: first as a forward air controller calling in air strikes in 2007-2008, then flying the attack helicopter in 2012-2013.</p> <p>Detailing the war times in his highly anticipated memoir <em>Spare</em>, Harry shared he had killed 25 people, saying he is neither proud nor ashamed of “taking human lives” as it was simply his job as a soldier.</p> <p>The prince says that he did not think of the 25 as “people” but rather “chess pieces” that had to be taken off the board.</p> <p>He also saw the insurgents he killed as “baddies eliminated before they could kill goodies”, he writes.</p> <p>Soldiers usually don't know how many people they have killed, but Harry alleged he watched footage of each of his kills when he got back to base to determine with certainty his death toll.</p> <p>“My number is 25. It’s not a number that fills me with satisfaction, but nor does it embarrass me,” he says.</p> <p>He said after leaving the military in 2015 that killing insurgents was part of his job, and that “we take a life to save a life”. </p> <p>He justified his actions on the battlefield because of his memory of the 9/11 attacks in the United States, and the memory of meeting families of those who died. </p> <p>Those responsible and their sympathisers were “enemies of humanity” and fighting them was an act of vengeance for a crime against humanity, he added.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Volleyball player reportedly beheaded by Taliban

<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Warning: This story contains graphic content which may distress some readers.</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A rising volleyball star </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10115333/Taliban-BEHEAD-womens-youth-volleyball-player-report-claims.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has been killed</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by the Taliban, with images of her head shared on social media, according to a report.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mahjabin Hakimi, a member of the Kabul Municipality Volleyball Club, was beheaded by members of the organisation earlier this month, according to claims her coach made in an interview with </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.independentpersian.com/node/185776/%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86/%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B6%D9%88-%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%B3%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%AF" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Persian Independent</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several conflicting claims have been circulating on social media regarding her death, with reports claiming Mahjabin was killed a week before <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/kabul-has-fallen-what-s-happening-in-afghanistan" target="_blank">the Taliban seized Kabul</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A death certificate purportedly showed her date of death as mid-August.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other claims said she had committed suicide.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A photo purportedly of her body showed she had an injury to her neck, but it is unclear whether it was caused by a blade or a ligature.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the Payk Investigative Journalism Centre, based in Afghanistan, said its sources confirmed Mahjabin “was beheaded by the Taliban in Kabul”.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845032/volleyball1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bf96b466d9a04384bbecf2adad8e6031" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Twitter</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mahjabin’s coach said her death was only being reported now because the Taliban had threatened her family to remain silent about what happened to her.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the image emerged online, the coach decided that she needed to speak out.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“All the players of the volleyball team and the rest of the women athletes are in a bad situation and in despair and fear,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Everyone has been forced to flee and live in unknown places.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The coach said only two members of the Kabul team managed to flee the country before the Taliban seized power at the end of August, with the rest now in hiding.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Italian Volleyball Federation announced on Friday that all of its leagues would observe a minute of silence for Mahjabin prior to their games on the weekend.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It seems impossible that in 2021 someone will be killed just because they play volleyball or, even worse, because they want to chase their dreams,” the federation said in a </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.federvolley.it/news/il-mondo-del-volley-lutto-decapitata-una-giovane-pallavolista-afgana" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">statement</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Instead it is a horrendous reality. The whole great volleyball community is in mourning today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Mahjabin, wherever you are, we like to think of you with a ball in your hand, finally free to play volleyball.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The devastating news comes as athletes have continued to be evacuated from the country.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">FIFA, the governing body of football, negotiated the evacuation of 57 soccer and basketball players on Thursday, with most being women and children.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The organisation also said it worked with the Qatari government to evacuate almost 100 football players and their families, and assisted cycling body UCI with the evacuation of 165 refugees via Albania.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">50 female Afghan athletes and their dependents have been evacuated by Australia after lobbying from prominent sporting figures, while several of Afghanistan’s national female youth soccer players were granted asylum in Portugal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite making vague promises that their attitudes towards women had changed, the Taliban banned girls from returning to secondary school.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zahra Fayazi, a member of the senior volleyball team who fled to the UK, previously told the </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/volleyball/58612964" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BBC</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that female players were threatened and destroyed their sporting equipment out of fear.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Many of our players who are from provinces were threatened many times by their relatives who are Taliban and Taliban followers,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They even burned their sports equipment to save themselves and their families. They didn’t want them to keep anything related to sport. They are scared.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The Taliban asked our players’ families to not allow their girls to do sport, otherwise they will be faced with unexpected violence.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Taliban also replaced the government’s women ministry with an all-male “vice and virtue” department.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">No women have been included in the new government</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Twitter</span></em></p>

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“We’ll die slowly in history”: Afghan girl’s sorrowful plea

<p dir="ltr">A video of an unidentified Afghan girl crying after the Taliban took over the capital of Afghanistan is being shared online.</p> <p dir="ltr">The video, which has been translated into English, shows the young woman finding it hard to cope with her new future.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t count because we were born in Afghanistan,” she says in the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I cannot help crying. I have to wipe my tears to be able to film this video.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No one cares about us. We’ll die slowly in history.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She ends the video with the question, “Isn’t it funny?”</p> <p dir="ltr">The video was shared by journalist and activist Masih Alinejad and has been viewed more than 1.7 million times.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"We don't count because we're from Afghanistan. We'll die slowly in history"<br /><br />Tears of a hopeless Afghan girl whose future is getting shattered as the Taliban advance in the country.<br /><br />My heart breaks for women of Afghanistan. The world has failed them. History will write this. <a href="https://t.co/i56trtmQtF">pic.twitter.com/i56trtmQtF</a></p> — Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih/status/1426195246694780930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The journalist described the video as the “tears of a hopeless Afghan girl whose future is getting shattered as the Taliban advance in the country”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Alinejad added that her “heart breaks for the women in Afghanistan”, as she fears women’s basic freedoms and rights will be taken away under Taliban rule.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Iranian journalist has since interviewed the girl in the video, sharing on Twitter that they “cried together because we both know the nature of the Islamic regime and their lies”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She’s only 23 years old, full of pain and anger. Please listen to her and be her voice.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">My in-depth interview with the Afghan girl who’s heartbreaking crying video become symbol of ‘shattered future’ under Taliban<br /><br />She’s only 23 years old, full of pain and anger. Please listen to her and be their voice. <a href="https://t.co/oUiOe7ApG7">pic.twitter.com/oUiOe7ApG7</a></p> — Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih/status/1427526187916701718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The clip has been shared all over social media, including by Khaled Hosseini, the author who used his time growing up in Afghanistan to write<span> </span><em>The Kite Runner</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The United States has a moral obligation. Admit as many Afghan refugees as possible,” he pleaded via Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 229.06976744186048px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843215/860x394-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/52d78bdec78f4f3b8c94797880906d52" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Department of Defense, @MarcusReports</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The video comes as shocking images of Afghans fleeing the country have also been shared, depicting hundreds of people desperately trying to board an American military transport plane.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

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Prince Harry speaks out against Taliban: “Support one another”

<p><span>Prince Harry has released a heartfelt statement following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.</span><br /><br /><span>The Duke of Sussex undertook two frontline tours of Afghanistan during his time in the British military, and has called on veterans to “reach out” and “offer support for one another” following the heartbreaking events.</span><br /><br /><span>He released the joint statement on the Invictus Games Foundation Twitter account, @weareinvictus.</span><br /><br /><span>The statement was issued by Harry, patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, along with Lord Allen of Kensington CBE, chair of the foundation and CEO, Dominic Reid OBE.</span><br /><br /><span>He said the events unfolding in the war-torn nation affected many in the Invictus community.</span><br /><br /><span>"What's happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community," it said.</span><br /><br /><span>"Many of the participating nations and competitors in the Invictus Games family are bound by a shared experience of serving in Afghanistan over the past two decades, and for several years we have competed alongside Invictus Games Team Afghanistan.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843218/prince-harry-afghanistan-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/09b1f838b0fb406cadecd4e1681331e5" /></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em><br /><br /><span>"We encourage everybody across the Invictus network — and the wider military community — to reach out to each other and offer support for one another."</span><br /><br /><span>The Duke served in the army for 10 years.</span><br /><br /><span>He joined the Royal Military in 2005, where he trained as a cadet.</span><br /><br /><span>He went on to join the Blues and Royals in 2006 — the second-most senior regiment in the British army.</span><br /><br /><span>From 2007 to 2008, Harry rose to the rank of lieutenant while he was deployed with the British Army in Helmand, Afghanistan.</span><br /><br /><span>In 2012, he commenced the second frontline tour of Afghanistan.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843220/prince-harry-afghanistan.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c5c2d126ec304a3397786678447115dd" /></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em><br /><br /><span>He had been a helicopter co-pilot and gunner.</span><br /><br /><span>US President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan following a 20-year presence has plunged the country into chaos.</span><br /><br /><span>The Taliban has quickly taken over major cities and states in Afghanistan.</span></p>

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Kabul has fallen: What's happening in Afghanistan

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After 20 years of combat and billions of dollars invested by the US and NATO to build up Afghan forces, Taliban fighters have seized nearly all of Afghanistan in little over a week.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After ousting Taliban forces from power in 2001, the US and Western allies - including Australia - have spent the last 20 years fighting the Taliban, as well as training and equipping Afghan security forces.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Earlier this year, US President Joe Biden announced the US would end its military mission in the country this year, with troops withdrawing by August 31.</span></p> <p><strong>Latest developments</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kabul, the country’s capital, was seized hours after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though he did not reveal where he had fled to, Mr Ghani said in a Facebook post that he did not want to see bloodshed in Kabul.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Al Jazeera news has since reported that the president, his wife, his chief of staff, and national security advisor have left for Tashkent in Uzbekistan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Taliban now say the war in Afghanistan is over, and that they will hold talks in the coming days aimed at forming an “open, inclusive Islamic government”, according to Taliban spokesman and negotiator Suhail Shaheen.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since the capture of Kabul, helicopters have been seen racing overhead to evacuate personnel from the US Embassy.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:333.49609375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843148/gettyimages-1234687815.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ab8f7cf42c514d83b3f282c1913a3e10" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">A US military helicopter pictured flying above the US embassy. Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Embassy staff destroyed important documents ahead of their evacuation, and the American flag was lowered.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Afghan citizens have also scrambled to flee the country, fearing the Taliban could reintroduce the brutal rules that stripped women of their rights.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thousands have attempted to flee, with roads reported to be gridlocked and gunfire being heard at the airport.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The United States, Australia, New Zealand and over 50 other nations have also issued a joint statement on Afghanistan, which reads: “Given the deteriorating security situation, we support, are working to secure, and call on all parties to respect and facilitate, the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan bear responsibility - and accountability - for the protection of human life and property, and for the immediate restoration of security and civil order.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Afghans and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so; roads, airports and border crossing must remain open, and calm must be maintained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. We in the international community stand ready to assist them.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Russian news has also confirmed that the Taliban has promised to guarantee the safety of the Russian embassy in Kabul, and that it will remain functional.</span></p> <p><strong>Australian forces to rescue Australians</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Cabinet’s National Security committee has met to discuss military efforts to evacuate citizens and former Afghan staff, while the Federal Government considers increasing the number of Afghan nationals allowed into the country as refugees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking this morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to clarify how many Australian citizens remained in Afghanistan, commenting that it is “a very distressing situation”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are working on to ensure we can safely remove people from that situation with partners and allies,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can’t go too much into the operational details of this.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After announcing that RAAF planes would be airlifting Australians and Afghan interpreters and contractors out of the country on Sunday, Mr Morrison refused to confirm whether the changing situation threatened to derail the government’s plans.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m not going to go into the operations; it’s for the protection of those we’re engaged in seeking to provide their safety,” Mr Morrison said.</span></p>

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Aussie journalist takes surprise interview with Taliban live on-air

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While reporting live on-air, an Afghan-born BBC anchor received a call from a Taliban spokesman following the extremist group’s takeover of Afghanistan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yalda Hakim, who arrived in Australia as a baby when her family fled Afghanistan on horseback in the mid-1980s, was conducting an interview when Suhail Shaheen called her mobile phone.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She took the surprise call in her stride, transferring Shaheen to a loudspeaker and asking the spokesman questions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“OK, we have got the Taliban’s spokesman Shail Shaheen on the line. Mr Shaheen, can you hear me?” the Australian reporter said.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Getting the Taliban spokesman on your own phone while you’re presenting live. <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCYaldaHakim?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCYaldaHakim</a> nailing it, all while dealing with an incredibly upsetting story. Wow 🙌🏻 <a href="https://t.co/9DQpKznlBQ">pic.twitter.com/9DQpKznlBQ</a></p> — Stephanie Hegarty (@stephhegarty) <a href="https://twitter.com/stephhegarty/status/1426861314744389633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After confirming he could hear her, Mr Shaheen spoke at length about how the Taliban were promising “peace” in Afghanistan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There should not be any confusion, we are sure the people of Afghanistan in the city of Kabul, that their properties and their lives are safe. There will be no revenge on anyone. We are the servants of the people and of this country,” he said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Our leadership has instructed our forces to remain at the gate of Kabul, not to enter the city. We are awaiting a peaceful transfer of power,” Mr Shaheen added.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The moment <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCYaldaHakim?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCYaldaHakim</a> received a call live on <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCWorld</a> from Taliban spokesperson and put him on speaker so we could hear. He was speaking from their office in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Doha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Doha</a> that he set up fifteen years ago planning and preparing for this day. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaveAfghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaveAfghanistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/J3EsNSEKea">pic.twitter.com/J3EsNSEKea</a></p> — Mina Zaki (@minazzaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/minazzaki/status/1426886817849102344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked whether public executions and amputation punishments would be used, he did not confirm or deny it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can’t say right now, that’s up to the judges in the courts and the laws. The judges will be appointed according to the law of the future government,” he said, also confirming that the country would again adopt Islamic Sharia law.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Of course, we want Islamic government,” Mr Shaheen said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also said the Taliban would respect womens’ rights and allow women to access education.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Hakim’s colleagues praised her both for maintaining her composure upon receiving the call and for her probing interview.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Have never witnessed anything quite like what happened in the studio this morning, pointing our guest mic at @BBCYaldaHakim own mobile phone as a Taliban spokesman rang it in the middle of her juggling another live interview,” a BBC TV floor manager shared on Twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Timing was everything, there was no rearranging this.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843174/bbc1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fa224032e95b48368a494dcfe1544737" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Scott Bryan / Twitter</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Broadcaster Aasmah Mir said: “That BBC Taliban interview is just mind-blowing. All 32 minutes of it. Yalda Hakim is an absolute boss.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fellow BBC correspondent Megha Mohan described the interview as a “historic moment”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I hope young reporters are inspired by her years of work &amp; dedication to the job, displayed for us all to see,” she added.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: BBC</span></em></p>

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“That’s not a cliff”: Ben Roberts-Smith downplays fresh allegations in court

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The case between Ben Roberts-Smith and <em>The Age</em>, <em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em>, and <em>The Canberra Times</em> newspapers, as well as several journalists, has recommenced, with an Afghan villager currently testifying.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The man has told the court a radio device was planted on the farmer’s dead body the day he was allegedly killed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The claim ties into the central allegation that the war veteran kicked a handcuffed, unarmed famer named Ali Jan over a cliff during a September 2012 mission.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nine Entertainment Co, the publisher of two of the papers, alleges Mr Roberts-Smith made an agreement with Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) colleagues to execute Ali Jan, which the soldiers then attempted to cover up.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Roberts-Smith has denied all wrongdoing and previously recalled in court that he encountered a suspected Taliban spotter in Darwan who was legitimately engaged and killed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mohammad Hanifa, who says he is Ali Jan’s step-nephew, told Sydney’s Federal Court through an interpreter and via video link that he and Ali Jan were interrogated and beaten up by soldiers during a raid on the village.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said one soldier told him to “shut up” and pointed a pistol at his forehead after he denied being a Taliban member.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Hanifa said there was an interpreter with the group and described one of the men as a “big soldier” with “blue eyes”, who punched him “many times”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said he warned Ali Jan not to laugh or smile, and that he saw Ali Jan “kicked really hard” by the big soldier after Ali Jan smiled again.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He was rolling down, rolling down, until he reached the river,” Mr Hanifa said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The soldier was looking at him, he was standing there and looking at him.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said he then heard a shot and saw two soldiers “dragging” Ali Jan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When the witness was shown a photograph of the dead man, he identified the man as Ali Jan and became animated when he saw a device in the photo.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These other things, the bag and the other device, they were not there,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They have put these things on his body.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Barrister Nicholas Owens SC, who is representing Nine, asked the witness whether he had seen Ali Jan carrying a radio that day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“By God, by God, he had nothing with him,” Mr Hanifa replied.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Earlier, Mr Hanifa said the farmer was not connected to the Taliban.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He was providing for his children and he was protecting his family and his property.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trial had been on hold for a month due to Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak, but has since resumed after concerns were raised regarding the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan which could make it difficult to hear from Afghan witnesses.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Hanifa’s testimony comes as </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sydney Morning Herald </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Age</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> revealed an image of Mr Roberts-Smith which was altered by the Department of Defence.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 335px; height: 223px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842683/7ab17256de68be9cbd6e333ff20fcb433ddc0944.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2e9957241a6b46a6a632eda515190197" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: ADF</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The photo, released in early 2011, shows Mr Roberts-Smith wearing a blank patch on the front of his uniform.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The newspapers allege they have obtained the original photo, taken on April 6 2010, which shows Mr Roberts-Smith wearing the Crusader’s Cross.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Crusader’s Cross symbol dates back to the Crusades in the Middle East during the 11th and 12 centuries.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many Muslims find the symbol offensive, especially when it is displayed by western soldiers in their country.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">EDITOR’S UPDATE</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While under cross-examination by Bruce McClintock SC, Mr Roberts-Smith’s barrister, the farmer agreed that he referred to the soldiers who had conducted the raids on the villages as infidels.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr McClintock asked whether Mr Hanifa “hated” the soldiers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If they are coming to our houses, go inside to our women, of course that’s what you call them - infidels,” the witness said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr McClintock also accused Mr Hanifa on several occasions of lying to the court, including his description of the uniform of the “big soldier”, which he described as wet and sandy. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The court had previously heard Mr Roberts-Smith had swum across a river to catch a suspected Taliban member prior to the raid.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The evidence you’ve given about seeing the big soldier wet is completely untrue, isn’t it?” Mr McClintock asked.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Whether you call it a lie that’s up to you, but I have seen this person with my own eyes,” Mr Hanifa replied.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key images of the “cliff” from which Ali Jan is alleged to have been kicked have also been released to the public.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The photographs of Mr Hanifa’s village had been marked by Mr Roberts-Smith while he gave evidence several weeks earlier.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 199.41634241245137px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842692/capture.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c144cfe3755e4628938144e11a1abd37" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Federal Court of Australia</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the locations, marked as point “B” on the photograph, is a source of contention, with Mr Roberts-Smith saying it represented a rooftop where his squad waited for extraction after the mission, whereas Nine claim it represents the area where Ali Jan was kicked into the creek bed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While looking at photographs and images showing a steep embankment down into the creek, the veteran told the court: “A cliff is a cliff - and that’s not a cliff to me.”</span></p>

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Freed Taliban hostage Timothy Weeks returns to Australia

<p><span>Australian teacher Timothy Weeks has returned home to Australia after being held captive by the Taliban for more than three years.</span></p> <p><span>50-year-old Weeks landed in Sydney on Thursday night after his release was secured as a part of a prisoner swap negotiated between the Taliban and the US, Australian and Afghan governments. According to the <em>ABC</em>, the swap was aimed at restarting talks to end Afghanistan’s 18-year war and allow the US troops to withdraw from the country.</span></p> <p><span>Weeks and his 63-year-old American colleague Kevin King were freed on November 20 in exchange for three members of the Taliban.</span></p> <p><span>He flew home after spending days at a US military base in Germany receiving medical care.</span></p> <p><span>“I am very pleased to confirm that Tim has returned to Australia and very much welcome his return,” Foreign Minister Marise Payne told <em><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/australian-timothy-weeks-lands-in-australia-after-three-years-in-taliban-captivity/ar-BBXu8Kd">AM</a></em>.</span></p> <p><span>“It has been an extraordinarily long three years for him and for his family.”</span></p> <p><span>Weeks and King were abducted at gunpoint in August 2016 outside the American University in Kabul, Afghanistan where they both worked as English teachers.</span></p> <p><span>In one of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/29/freed-taliban-prisoner-timothy-weeks-returns-to-australia" target="_blank">the two videos released the following year</a>, King and Weeks pleaded with the Australian and US governments to negotiate with the Taliban to secure their release by June 2017.</span></p> <p><span>The Weeks family released a statement asking for privacy following his release.</span></p> <p><span>“Our family is overjoyed that Tim has been released after more than three years in captivity,” the statement said. “We thank our friends and extended family for their love and support over the past three years during this very difficult time.</span></p> <p><span>“While we understand the intense public interest in Tim’s release, we do not want to comment further. We ask that the media respect both our and Tim’s privacy. It is important that Tim now be given the time and space to start to come to terms with his experience.”</span></p>

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