Kids killed in Aussie Afghan raid

LAYING charges against soldiers involved in a disastrous Afghanistan raid will reinforce the view that Australian troops are not an armed rabble, a defence lobby group says.

Australia abided by international law and required soldiers to adhere to that law, Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James said.

"We send the defence force of a liberal democracy overseas to protect our interests and uphold the United Nations charter," Mr James told ABC Radio on Friday.

"We don't send an armed rabble who aren't accountable to anyone."

Mr James was responding to reports that a group of commandos attached to the Special Operations Task Group is likely to face charges arising from the deaths of five Afghan children during a raid in February 2009.

The Director of Military Prosecutions has been considering whether to lay charges against the commandos who conducted a night-time raid on a residential compound believed to harbour Taliban insurgents.

Defence previously has said the deaths occurred as the soldiers conducted clearance operations using gunfire and hand grenades.

One suspected insurgent and five children were killed, while another two children and two adults were wounded.

In November last year, the case was referred to the Director of Military Prosecutions.

Mr James said the soldiers might very well be found innocent.

"But at least the allegations against them will have been heard in an open court," he said.