Australian forces may have to protect Iraqi civilians who could be marked for death after appearing in amateur videos shot by Diggers serving in Iraq. The videos were made by shot by bored Australian troops as part of an unofficial film-making competition and it is thought thousands of videos were made, with many being edited on army equipment, Time magazine said in an online report today.Fourteen of the videos were posted on the video website Youtube and have created a furore with their depictions of soldiers horsing around with weapons, exposing themselves and posing in apparently mock scenes of subduing a captive in an Arab headdress. The videos also show aspects of the troops' day-to-day life in Iraq and include apparent scenes of fraternising with locals.
Iraqis who work and mix with occupying Coalition forces are frequently targeted by insurgents for grisly execution-style killings to make an example of those they see as collaborators.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) said it was moving to ensure the safety of any locals who may be compromised by appearing in the Australian troop videos. "We will be having a close look," said ADF head Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. "Where we feel the security of an individual is at risk we will be doing everything we can to make sure they feel safe," he said, according to Time.