Saving Australia’s Afghan personnel

There was desperation in the voice of former Australian Defence Force Major Stuart McCarthy. Speaking on the ABC News breakfast program on June 5, he warned that Australian foot-dragging in evacuating Afghans who had aided Australian operations in their country would leave “blood on the hands” of government officials, including the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison. The same views were aired on Radio National on June 3.

McCarthy might have good reason to be concerned. Having assisted in the withdrawal of Australian troops from Uruzgan in 2013, he subsequently discovered that an interpreter he had worked with had been killed by the Taliban.