General
Afghan militia leader Matiullah Khan gave gold watches to Australian Special Forces commanders
Australian Special Forces commanders were given gold watches by a corrupt Afghan warlord who doubled as a powerful local police chief.
Key points:
- Matiullah Khan was a provincial strongman with a reputation for brutality
- His political connections and private army helped keep the Taliban at bay in Uruzgan Province
- To refuse the luxury items might have caused offence or embarrassment
The ABC can reveal notorious Afghan militia leader Matiullah Khan, who was killed in 2015, regularly presented Rado watches worth more than $1,000 to senior Australian soldiers during rotations in Uruzgan province.
Former soldiers who served in Australia’s Special Operations Task Group told the ABC the lavish gifts caused unease among troops.
Khan, a provincial…
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