New Delhi:
An investigation into the actions of British special forces in Afghanistan has revealed allegations of extrajudicial killings and a cover-up of illegal activities during the war.
Testimony and hundreds of documents released on Wednesday reveal misconduct by elite soldiers serving in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, including one former officer with the British Army Special Air Service (SAS). states that there is a “golden pass to get away with murder.”
war crimes
The Afghanistan Inquiry, commissioned by the UK government’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) in 2022, investigates alleged war crimes committed by British troops during the Afghanistan conflict. Particular focus will be on the actions of UK Special Forces (UKSF) troops during nighttime raids known as ‘Operation Deliberate Detention’.
Testimony from seven British SF personnel, conducted in secret due to national security concerns, said the military killed unarmed Afghans, including individuals who posed no threat. One soldier, identified in the documents as N1799, testified that during some operations, “all men of combat age were targeted and killed, regardless of whether they posed a threat or not.” He recounted hearing that detainees were executed inside the facility, sometimes using methods such as placing pillows on victims’ heads before being shot.
The investigation heard that some of the victims of these killings were under the age of 16.
evidence of concealment
Emails and eyewitness accounts provided to the inquiry indicate concerns among some officers about the actions of UKSF troops. In one email from February 2011, a police officer wondered if he was intentionally setting up scenarios that would justify killings, such as ordering SAS soldiers to retrieve their weapons before firing on detainees. I wondered if there was. One senior officer acknowledged the problem, saying there appeared to be a “casual disregard for human life” and counterinsurgency principles.
Another police officer, known as N2107, referred to the SAS and “Murder” as “regular bed mates” in an email. He told the inquiry that by 2011 he believed SAS units were carrying out extrajudicial killings. But he admitted he failed to escalate his concerns up the chain of command, which he now considers a “serious failure of leadership”.
According to testimony, the operation was manipulated to suggest that weapons were found next to those killed, even though they were unarmed. One soldier said he was told the photos were staged to make it appear that those killed were combatants.
One police officer described the SAS as “beyond reproach” and said he was discouraged from questioning their actions. Emails revealed that Afghan aid staff who questioned the credibility of SAS reports were reprimanded to ensure they supported “people on the ground”.
One senior officer told the inquiry that in the eyes of the British SF leadership, the SAS “couldn’t do anything wrong”. This attitude allowed the regiment to operate with almost complete impunity, focusing more on “kill numbers” than on legal action.
political implications
The accusations against UKSF have been compared to accusations of misconduct by US special operations forces during the Afghanistan conflict. British military police previously investigated possible war crimes committed by the SAS, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.
The Ministry of Defense declined to comment further, saying it was “appropriate to wait for the results of the investigation.”
Several witnesses expressed concerns about speaking out, citing concerns for their safety. For example, N1799 required two Ministry of Defense representatives to leave the investigation room before giving evidence, saying they felt “a bit unwell”.
