A photo of an Australian special forces soldier from 2009, released by The Guardian on the 1st (local time). Photo by The Guardian Facebook
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] A photo showing Australian special forces soldiers drinking alcohol from a prosthetic leg worn by a deceased member of the Taliban militant group in Afghanistan has sparked controversy.
According to the British daily The Guardian on the 1st (local time), some photos of Australian special forces personnel taken in Afghanistan in 2009 showed a man pouring beer into a prosthetic leg fitted with a slipper and drinking from it.
Another photo revealed two men posing and dancing with the prosthetic leg against the backdrop of a skull flag.
The Guardian stated that these photos were taken inside an Australian military base in Tarinkot, the capital of Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, at a bar called ‘Fat Lady’s Arms.’
It also exposed that all those pictured were Australian soldiers, some of whom are still serving in the military.
According to the report, The Guardian claimed that the prosthetic leg in the photos is presumed to have belonged to a Taliban soldier who died during a drone strike by Australian forces on two Taliban positions in Kakarak, Uruzgan, in April 2009.
The Guardian said that rumors have long circulated openly within the Australian special forces that some officers drink alcohol from Taliban prosthetic legs.
Earlier, Australian ABC broadcast reported on this bad practice within the special forces of drinking from prosthetic legs, but this was the first time it was confirmed with photos.
A former Australian special forces SASR member said the prosthetic leg was kept inside the bar and had a nameplate labeled ‘Das Boot’ in German.
He told The Guardian, "Wherever the Fat Lady’s Arms was set up, the prosthetic leg was installed, and the unit members occasionally used it to drink alcohol."
In response to the controversy, an Australian Department of Defense spokesperson stated, "If there is information within the Department of Defense that was not included in the ongoing investigation in Afghanistan, we will thoroughly investigate and take action on those matters."
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