SAS troops accused of war crimes not referred to police over morale fears, inquiry hears
Summary
A UK public inquiry heard that allegations of war crimes by SAS troops in Afghanistan were not reported to military police out of fear that investigations would harm morale and disrupt operations. Instead, an internal review was completed quickly and cleared the troops, but serious concerns about unlawful killings remained.Key Facts
- The SAS faced allegations of war crimes during operations in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2013, including killing civilians and children.
- A former top UK Special Forces officer said allegations were not referred to the Royal Military Police in 2011 due to concerns over morale and operational disruption.
- The internal review was led by an officer close to the SAS unit under suspicion and found no criminal wrongdoing within a week.
- British military law requires commanders to report suspected war crimes to military police, but this was not followed.
- Evidence included reports of detainees being shot dead and higher civilian deaths than weapons recovered, suggesting possible unlawful killings.
- Concerns also came from whistleblowers, Afghan special forces, and an international organization monitoring the conflict.
- Afghan forces sometimes refused to fight alongside the SAS due to these alleged actions.
- The inquiry is ongoing and examines the UK military’s handling of these serious allegations.
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