A public inquiry into alleged war crimes has revealed that British Special Forces (UKSF) soldiers in Afghanistan operated using a “golden pass” that allowed them to avoid responsibility for murders.
The evidence provided by seven British Special Forces witnesses was released on Wednesday as part of the publication of documents summarizing the contents of the secret hearing, according to an independent report.
The investigation began in March and has now entered substantive proceedings at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, which is looking into allegations of conduct by special forces in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
The agency is investigating how the so-called deliberate detention operation and suspicion of unlawful killing were investigated by the Royal Military Police during that period, and in particular whether there was a cover-up.
The independent investigation follows a legal challenge by the families of dozens of people allegedly killed during nighttime raids by British special forces.
The court will hear documents submitted on behalf of the families of 33 people, including eight children who were allegedly murdered.
Testimony from an individual identified as N2107, who had access to operational reports on SAS operations in Afghanistan in 2011, revealed his growing skepticism of official accounts of the Afghan death toll.
Citing witnesses, the report said British Special Forces (UKSF) in Afghanistan were “beyond reproach” and operated with a “golden pass to get away with murder”.
Another witness, identified as N1799, testified in questioning that he believed Special Air Service (SAS) units were executing “combat-age males” in Afghanistan. He claimed that the dead Afghans were referred to disparagingly as being “packed flat”.
N1799 said in a statement that he was informed by a soldier in his unit that a pillow was placed over his head before he was shot with a pistol.
“It was implied that the deceased would be photographed with a weapon that the ‘combat-age male’ may not have had in his position when he was killed,” the Independent reported, citing an eyewitness. reported the statement.
A whistleblower told investigative consultant Oliver Glasgow that leaving discarded weapons near bodies was informally known as “Mr. Wolf.”
He said the term originated in the movie Pulp Fiction, where a character introduces himself as “Mr. Wolf.” He told Glasgow: Wolf says, “I’m Mr. Wolf, and I’m here to solve problems.”
During interrogation, N1799 stated that he trained with members of the accused unit UKSF1, with whom he allegedly discussed operations during training.
In his witness statement, Mr N1799 said the explanation provided by UKSF member N1201 was in stark contrast to the explanation given by his commanders several months earlier, when he claimed that “UKSF does not operate outside the law”. He said that it was accurate.
Asked by Glasgow whether he had concerns about his health after raising the allegations against UKSF1, The Independent quoted a witness as saying: “I was then and I still am.” said.
The attorney for the investigation continued: “Is there a risk that you will be branded a traitor because of how this will be perceived by others within the wider UKSF community?”
N1799 said yes.
Another UKSF member involved in oversight of the Afghanistan Partner Unit (APU) said his Afghan counterparts felt they were being “treated like dogs” by UKSF1.
Afghan families have accused British special forces of carrying out a “murderous campaign” against civilians, while senior officers and MoD officials are said to have tried to obstruct a thorough investigation.
No charges were brought under Operation Northmoor, which was established in 2014 to investigate allegations of executions by special forces, including of children.
A separate investigation by the Royal Military Police, code-named Operation Sestro, resulted in three soldiers being referred to prosecutors, but no one was charged.
The investigation is ongoing.
Based on opinions from agents
