Australians have been urged to cut some slack to troops serving in Afghanistan after soldiers were accused of mistreating Taliban prisoners by locking them in a dog pen overnight.
But the incident has angered Muslim leaders and the Australian Greens who say the troops made a "big mistake".
A defence inquiry report - released last Friday - found there was no evidence four Taliban suspects detained by Australian troops in late April had been mistreated.
But the investigating officer did acknowledge that complaints about their treatment, including being locked up in a dog pen, may have stemmed from cultural differences.
Both the government and opposition said Australian troops were involved in a tough battle.
"We are at war in Afghanistan with people who will employ any tactic including the use of children as shields and as a means of propaganda and it is a tough battle," Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said.
"But we always endeavour to comply on all occasions with international law and I am confident that our people have done so."
Opposition defence spokesman Nick Minchin said it was un-Australian to complain about the way troops had treated prisoners.
"It's pretty outrageous for any Australian to complain about the behaviour of Australian troops in relation to these Taliban extremists who not only treat other troops but their own people with such degradation, cruelty and appalling procedures," he said.
"In this case, I think Australians should give our troops a bit of slack."
But the incident has angered the nation's Muslim leadership who regard dogs as unclean.
"To be honest, I am appalled that Australian soldiers have been implicated with such disgusting treatment of human beings," Australian Federation of Islamic Councils president Iqbal Patel said.
"No human bring should be in any way placed in a dog pen."
RSL national president Bill Crews says there might have been extraneous circumstances surrounding the incident.
"I know that our men and women certainly comply with the laws of armed conflict," he said.
Abiding by those rules still tested Australian troops as it was a difficult environment.
"There are circumstances where you need to take extraordinary measures to do the job and that might be one of the cases here that we are referring to."
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has described the incident as a "big mistake".
"For Australia to find itself keeping prisoners in dog kennels, dog pens, even overnight, is a big mistake," he told reporters in Canberra.
The situation in Afghanistan was "very nasty" and the Taliban were ruthless and destructive, but they should not be kept in dog pens.
The apparent breach of the Geneva conventions pointed to a failure by the government to provide backup to ensure adequate transfer and detention facilities, Senator Brown said.
In a statement tonight, Defence said the prisoners had been held in the best safe and secure holdings available for use.
The four men had been held at the forward operating base on April 29, 2008, for approximately 15 hours.
"The enclosures were constructed from HESCO bastions that are approximately 1.4 metres high, 1.2 metres wide and 1 metre deep," Defence said.
"The bastions are made with weld mesh and a non-woven geotextile lining."
As soon as it was practical, the men were transferred elsewhere.
"The enclosures offered the best secure, safe and isolated short-term accommodation until the following day," Defence said.
"As soon as practicable three of the detainees were extracted from the Forward Operating Base to the Dutch detention facility at Tarin Kowt.
"The fourth detainee was released from the forward operating Base."
Defence insists all handling procedures were carried out in accordance with Australian obligations under domestic and international law.
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