The Albanese government won’t defend Ben Roberts-Smith…

But it will defend Joe Biden as he defies the occasionally sacred ‘rules-based international order.’

At the weekend, Australia fell short of condemning the US for providing cluster bombs to Ukraine, bucking the trend of other Western nations that have signed a treaty opposing possession of the munitions.

Mr Biden on Friday said it was a “very difficult decision” to send cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a $US800m assistance package, but it was necessary because Ukrainian fighters were running out of ammunition.

■ The Times mourns 500: Vladimir Putin hugs a child on TV as his missiles kill them.
■ UNICEF: More than 9,000 children have been killed or maimed in Iraq since 2008.

When asked about the cluster bomb assistance, a spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said “Australia continues to condemn Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine”.

“We note President Biden’s comments that this was a difficult decision, but one essential to supporting Ukraine’s counteroffensive,” she said.

Related: The US-ordered illegal detention without charge of Australian Daniel Duggan continues.

11 Responses to The Albanese government won’t defend Ben Roberts-Smith…

Petros says:

10 July, 2023 at 6:00 pm

And the AEC will attack Craig Kelly.
Ed Case says:

10 July, 2023 at 6:14 pm

Well, Albanese doesn’t look like sending Smith to the ICC or anything like that.
Given the Besanko findings, that’s a win for Smith.
RacerX says:

10 July, 2023 at 6:17 pm

but it was necessary because Ukrainian fighters were running out of ammunition.

This is what winning looks like and anyone who says different is a puppet of Putin spreading Russian propaganda.
NFA says:

10 July, 2023 at 6:26 pm

Given the Besanko findings, that’s a win for Smith.

sad case… your back
NFA says:

10 July, 2023 at 6:29 pm

what illuminating comments do you have for us about the Australian Daniel Duggan, eh sad case?
Lee says:

10 July, 2023 at 6:51 pm

So the Australian government will condone and make excuses for war crimes by other nations while accusing our own soldiers of alleged crimes in a country absolutely infamous for treachery by the inhabitants and which respects no rule of international warfare.

Right …
Ed Case says:

10 July, 2023 at 8:23 pm

It was our own Soldiers who blew the whistle on War Crimes in Afghanistan.
Labor and Coalition Governments just covered it up, that’s all.
Lee says:

10 July, 2023 at 8:38 pm

It was our own Soldiers who blew the whistle on War Crimes in Afghanistan.

Alleged.

Labor and Coalition Governments just covered it up, that’s all.

If they did cover them up they did an extremely poor job of it.
NFA says:

10 July, 2023 at 8:50 pm

lets not talk about Andrew Hastie, please
jupes says:

10 July, 2023 at 9:13 pm

It is truly amazing the amount of effort the government is putting into trying to send the 19 SAS soldiers to jail. Years of police investigation and tens of millions of dollars. Still only one charge but they will not stop or let any of the others off the hook. Persecuting them by the process because they have no case.

That they then can be so cavalier with supporting Nazis in Ukraine as they commit atrocities to a degree that makes the worst accusations against the SAS 19 pale into insignificance, and now the support of this decision by Biden is utterly galling.

Australia has not only thrown away its moral compass, it has bombed it with a thousand cluster bombs.
Ed Case says:

10 July, 2023 at 9:33 pm

It is truly amazing the amount of effort the government is putting into trying to send the 19 SAS soldiers to jail.

If those 19 are among those that blew the whistle on BRSMITH, then, no, it’s not surprising, it’a par for the course,