Lawyer attacks delay over abuse

David Wroe The lawyer appointed by the Gillard government to lead an inquiry into abuse in the military has questioned Defence Minister Stephen Smith's commitment to bringing justice to victims, in a stinging...

Smith condemned over response to Defence abuse

David Wroe Lawyer appointed by Gillard government to lead inquiry into abuse in the military questions Defence Minister's commitment to bringing justice to victims.

Defence abuse claims on the rise, says Smith

David Wroe About 15 new cases of abuse are being referred each week to the defence abuse taskforce as the number of cases continues ''building steadily'', according to Defence Minister Stephen Smith.

Young Diggers blasted for front-line foolery

David Wroe A senior army commander has blasted the behaviour of some Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, saying they expected to be treated as ''Roman gladiators'' and had an image of war based on movies and...

Blast for 'gladiator' Diggers

David Wroe Senior army commander blasts behaviour of some Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, saying they expected to be treated as 'Roman gladiators'.

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RAAF ignored Joint Strike Fighter advice

David Wroe The Howard government and air force chiefs ignored advice from defence officials in 2002 against rushing into the Joint Strike Fighter project amid concerns that too little was known about the...

Navy salutes first woman clearance diver

David Wroe The navy is poised to break new ground with its first woman clearance diver in training and could have a female service chief by the end of the decade.

Concerns about Joint Strike Fighter ignored

David Wroe The former Howard government and Air Force chiefs ignored advice from defence officials in 2002 against rushing into the Joint Strike Fighter project amid concerns that too little was known about the...

Spies like us

David Wroe and Ruth Pollard In late 2010, then foreign minister Kevin Rudd paid a two-day visit to Israel. After back-to-back meetings including talks with Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman and Prime Minister Benjamin...

Bishop demands Smith explain Zygier failings

Judith Ireland, David Wroe and Tom Allard The Coalition is putting pressure on Defence Minister Stephen Smith to explain what went wrong in the Ben Zygier case, saying that it ''defies belief'' that the former foreign minister had no...

Officials broke rules on Zygier as case was flicked to ASIO

David Wroe, Tom Allard Two of Australia's highest ranking foreign affairs officials knew of the jailing of Melbourne man Ben Zygier - dubbed ''Prisoner X'' - in Israel but left his consular care in the hands of spy agency...

Carr blasts DFAT after Prisoner X review

David Wroe Foreign Minister Bob Carr has criticised as ''unsatisfactory'' Australian authorities' handling of the case of Melbourne man Ben Zygier - known as prisoner X - who killed himself in an Israeli...

'We failed our duty' to Prisoner X

David Wroe Melbourne man dubbed 'Prisoner X' received no consular assistance from Australian officials despite the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade having been told of his detention by Israeli...

Israel assured Australia on prisoner's rights, Carr says

David Wroe Australia was told through ''intelligence channels'' that Australian Ben Zygier had been imprisoned in 2010 by Israeli authorities on ''serious offences'' under Israeli national security law, Foreign...

Australia knew about Prisoner X

David Wroe, Ruth Pollard AN AUSTRALIAN diplomat knew that Melbourne man Ben Zygier was being held in an Israeli prison before he died in his cell, the government has admitted, amid reports that Mr Zygier was a Mossad agent...

DFAT orders review into 'Prisoner X' case

David Wroe Foreign Minister Bob Carr's office has revealed an Australian diplomat was aware Melbourne man Ben Zygier had been detained in an Israeli prison before his death in 2010.

Defence worried about defections

David Wroe Defence Force Chief David Hurley says the military's personnel is pared to the bone.

Afghanistan veterans 'will be a priority'

David Wroe THE care of veterans will become the focus for Australia as operations in Afghanistan wind down, the Defence Minister, Stephen Smith, has told Parliament.

Veterans the focus when Afghan campaign ends, says Smith

David Wroe The care of veterans will become an increasing focus for the government as Australia winds down its operations in Afghanistan, Defence Minister Stephen Smith has told Parliament.

Hunt for Australian bomb suspect

David Wroe THE Australian Federal Police have joined the hunt for an Australian suspected bomb maker over an alleged Hezbollah terrorist attack in Bulgaria last year, as experts warned of broader Australian...