WAR CRIMES OF AUSTRALIAN SPECIAL FORCES DURING THE AFGHAN WAR AND AGAMBEN'S STATE OF EXCEPTION

Year 2024, Volume: 79 Issue: 1, 1 - 26, 18.03.2024

Gözde Turan

https://doi.org/10.33630/ausbf.1074589

Abstract

UN reports and the Report of Inquiry conducted by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) provide statistics and document details showing that ADF personnel operating in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2013 engaged in criminal conduct causing the death of at least 89 civilians and combatants during the Afghanistan war. Although the Australian government has initiated a legal investigation giving the impression that it is determined to bring the responsible ones to justice, there is a growing need to analyse the problem of international crimes committed by international peace operations personnel beyond the legal field. The crimes allegedly committed by the Australian forces on the territory of Afghanistan are undoubtedly incompatible with international norms and standards. Yet, in accordance with Agamben’s theory of “state of exception”, the violations indicate a field where exception becomes the rule rather than being simply an exception to the rule. Through conversation with Agamben’s concepts of homo sacer and the state of exception whereby a domestic legislating body assumes an a priori validity above and outside the law, this paper argues that the international community as a versatile and ubiquitous power constructs states of exception and homines sacri in a similar fashion at the international level.

Keywords

Agamben, state of exception, homo sacer, Afghanistan, war crimes

AFGANİSTAN SAVAŞI’NDA AVUSTRALYA ÖZEL KUVVETLERİNİN SAVAŞ SUÇLARI VE AGAMBEN’İN İSTİSNA DURUMU

Abstract

BM verilerine ve Avustralya Savunma Kuvvetleri (Australian Defence Force, ADF) tarafından hazırlanan rapora göre 2003-2013 yılları arasında Afganistan’da görev alan Avustralya Özel Birlik askerleri en az 89 sivilin ve savaşanın ölümünden sorumludur. Her ne kadar Avustralya hükümeti kendi soruşturmasını yürütmekte ve sorumluları hukuk önüne getirmeye kararlı olduğu yönünde bir izlenim göstermekte ise de, uluslararası barış gücü bünyesinde görev alan personelin uluslararası suçlar işleyebileceği ve işlediği gerçeği hukuki alan dışında siyasi alanda da tartışılması gereken ve etki doğuran bir sorundur. Avustralya birliklerinin Afganistan Savaşı sırasındaki eylemleri uluslararası ilke ve normlarla bağdaşmamaktadır. Yasa koyucu iktidarın, iktidarını kurma aşamasında hukukun üstünde ve dışında olduğunu öne süren Agamben’in istisna durumu teorisine paralel olarak, Avustralya birliklerinin söz konusu eylemleri istisna olmanın ötesinde istisnanın kurala dönüştüğü bir alanı işaret etmektedir. Birliklerin işlediği uluslararası suçların kurbanları olan Afganlar ise hukuki alanın dışına itilen, dolayısıyla hukuki suje olarak tanınmayan bireyi ifade eden homo sacer halini almaktadırlar. Bu doğrultuda, çalışma ulusal alandaki istisna durumu ve homo sacer inşası süreçlerine benzer şekilde uluslararası toplumun kendi istisna durumlarını ve homo sacer sujelerini kurguladığını gösterecektir.

Keywords

Agamben, istisna durumu, homo sacer, Afganistan, savaş suçları

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