At the very least 54 Afghans have been killed by British particular forces in suspicious circumstances through the 2010-11 Helmand tour.
Commandos in the UK’s elite Particular Air Service (SAS) corps killed at the very least 54 Afghans in suspicious circumstances throughout a six-month tour of Helmand province from November 2010 to Might 2011, however the army chain of command hid issues, in line with a BBC media community investigation.
Unarmed Afghan males have been routinely shot lifeless “in chilly blood” by SAS troops throughout night-time raids through the lengthy conflict in Afghanistan, and weapons have been planted on them to justify the crimes, the four-year inquiry discovered.
Senior officers, together with Normal Mark Carleton-Smith, who headed the UK Special Forces on the time, have been conscious of issues throughout the SAS concerning the operations however didn’t report them to army police, the BBC mentioned on Tuesday.
Underneath UK regulation governing the armed forces, it’s a felony offence for a commanding officer to fail to tell the army police in the event that they turn out to be conscious of potential conflict crimes, the BBC famous.
Carleton-Smith, who retired final month as head of the British military total, declined to remark to the BBC programme Panorama, which mentioned its investigation was based mostly on court docket paperwork, leaked emails and its personal journalists’ journey to websites of the operations in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defence mentioned prior investigations into the conduct of UK forces in Afghanistan discovered inadequate proof to deliver fees.
“No new proof has been introduced, however the service police will take into account any allegations ought to new proof come to gentle,” it mentioned in an announcement to the BBC.
“The UK armed forces served with braveness and professionalism in Afghanistan and we are going to all the time maintain them to the best requirements.”
Police ‘obstructed’
The Panorama investigation, airing in full on Tuesday night, recognized 54 folks shot lifeless in suspicious circumstances by one SAS unit through the tour of Helmand province.
After-action reviews confirmed different officers have been stunned on the excessive casualty charge being inflicted by the unit, when not one of the SAS troops reported accidents in obvious firefights with Taliban fighters.
“Too many individuals have been being killed on night time raids and the reasons didn’t make sense. As soon as any individual is detained, they shouldn’t find yourself lifeless,” one senior officer at particular forces headquarters instructed Panorama.
“For it to occur again and again was inflicting alarm at HQ. It was clear on the time that one thing was fallacious.”
There was explicit concern that SAS bullet holes discovered on the scene of Afghan residential compounds after the raids have been all low down – indicating that suspects have been kneeling or inclined on the bottom.
A number of warnings have been relayed up the chain of command, the BBC mentioned. However the SAS squadron was allowed to complete its six-month tour – and was deployed for one more in 2012.
In 2014, the Royal Navy Police launched an investigation into greater than 600 alleged offences by British forces in Afghanistan, together with various killings by the SAS squadron.
However RMP investigators instructed the BBC that they have been “obstructed” by the British army, and the investigation resulted in 2019.
Colonel Oliver Lee, who was commander of the Royal Marines in Afghanistan in 2011, instructed the programme that the allegations have been “extremely stunning” and merited a full public inquiry.
