ADF taking too long to enact reforms after Afghanistan war crimes inquiry, watchdog warns

The Australian Defence Force is taking too long to implement some of the cultural reforms sparked by the Afghanistan war crimes inquiry, an independent watchdog has warned.

Guardian Australia can reveal that the oversight panel led by the former intelligence inspector general Vivienne Thom has conveyed its concerns directly to the military top brass.

The revelations have prompted the Albanese government to reaffirm that it is committed to implementing the reforms.

In its most recent report to Marles in November, the panel raised concerns about the timeliness of implementing the Afghanistan inquiry reform plan.

But further observations and recommendations on this issue were largely redacted in the document.

Defence was also approached for comment.

The previous Coalition government missed the original December 2021 deadline for a decision on how to approach the compensation issue.

These interviews included people in mid-seniority positions from Australian Defence Headquarters, Headquarters Joint Operations Command, Army Headquarters, Strategy and Intelligence Group, and Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group.