Seven West Media must walk the tight rope of its coverage of the Brereton SAS war crimes report and its chairman’s support of military figures.
The appalling revelations of the Brereton war crimes report have made headlines around the world, already resulting in the disbanding of the SAS regiment at the centre of the allegations of war crimes, the Special Air Service Regiment 2 Squadron.
But the SAS unit has found solace from one source: Seven West chairman Kerry Stokes. Already, Stokes has loaned decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith somewhere between $1 million and $2 million (depending on the source) to aid his — so far not going all that great — defamation case against the Nine papers.
Nine had printed allegations that the Victoria Cross and Medal for Gallantry recipient was investigated for involvement in executions and mistreatment of prisoners in Afghanistan. Roberts-Smith, a former member of the disbanded squadron, is now an executive at Seven and denies the allegations.
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