
Today we bring you an exclusive interview with one of Australia’s former most senior military commanders, Major General Jeff Sengelman.
General Sengelman is widely credited with initiating the landmark Afghanistan Inquiry and the subsequent Brereton Report, while he was head of Australia’s Special Forces as the Special Operations Commander Australia.
His tenure marked the first serious internal investigation into rumours of misconduct by Australia’s elite soldiers.
The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry, launched in 2016, was triggered by allegations that Special Forces soldiers had unlawfully killed civilians and detainees during operations in Afghanistan.
The inquiry culminated in the 2020 release of the Brereton Report, which found credible evidence of 23 incidents involving the alleged unlawful killing of 39 Afghan nationals by 25 Australian soldiers.
While rumours of misconduct had circulated within military circles for years, General Sengelman’s leadership is seen as the turning point that prompted the military to confront these troubling allegations.
In our interview, General Sengelman reflects on the challenges of addressing these allegations, as well as his approach to command responsibility and the broader implications of the inquiry. He also examines how the Brereton Report was portrayed in the media and raises questions about how to better prepare soldiers to uphold international laws of war on the battlefield in future conflicts.
This is General Sengelman’s first media interview regarding the alleged war crimes allegations in Afghanistan since he has retired, so it’s worth a listen.
And it follows on from last week’s episode, where we took an in-depth look at the alleged misconduct by Australian forces in Afghanistan, If you haven’t already, go back and listen, to give you all the background and historical context for this interview.

This podcast has been produced as part of a partnership with JusticeInfo.net, an independent website in French and English covering justice initiatives in countries dealing with serious violence. It is a media outlet of Fondation Hirondelle, based in Lausanne, Switzerland.