Afghanistan war crimes

Canberra, Sep 12 (IANS) Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday announced he has stripped distinguished service medals from military commanders during the war in Afghanistan over alleged war crimes. Marles, also Australia's Deputy Prime Minister, said that he has written to commanders whose awards were referred for consideration to notify them about whether their awards were being cancelled or retained, reports Xinhua news agency. The government did not confirm exactly how many individuals had their honours rescinded, citing privacy concerns, but said it was fewer than 10 officers. Marles made the announcement while updating the Parliament on the government's…