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Unarmed Afghan males had been routinely shot lifeless “in chilly blood” by SAS troops throughout night-time raids throughout the lengthy conflict, and weapons had been planted on them to justify the crimes, the four-year probe discovered.
Senior officers together with Normal Mark Carleton-Smith, who headed UK Particular Forces on the time, had been conscious of issues throughout the SAS concerning the operations however didn’t report them to navy police, it stated.
Underneath UK regulation governing the armed forces, it’s a felony offence for a commanding officer to fail to tell the navy police in the event that they grow to be conscious of potential conflict crimes, the BBC famous.
Carleton-Smith, who retired final month as head of the British military general, declined to remark to the BBC programme “Panorama”, which stated its investigation was based mostly on courtroom paperwork, leaked emails and its personal journalists’ journey to websites of the operations in Afghanistan.
The ministry of defence stated prior investigations into the conduct of UK forces in Afghanistan discovered inadequate proof to carry prices.
“No new proof has been introduced, however the service police will take into account any allegations ought to new proof come to mild,” it stated in a press release 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 very best requirements.”
– Police ‘obstructed’ – The Panorama investigation, airing in full later Tuesday, recognized 54 folks shot lifeless in suspicious circumstances by one SAS unit throughout one six-month tour of Helmand province from November 2010 to Could 2011.
After-action studies confirmed different officers had been shocked on the excessive casualty charge being inflicted by the unit, when not one of the SAS troops reported accidents in obvious firefights with Taliban militants.
“Too many individuals had been being killed on evening raids and the reasons did not make sense. As soon as any person is detained, they should not 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 incorrect.”
There was specific concern that SAS bullet holes discovered on the scene of Afghan residential compounds after the raids had been all low down — indicating that suspects had been kneeling or susceptible on the bottom.
A number of warnings had been relayed up the chain of command, the BBC stated. However the SAS squadron was allowed to complete its six-month tour — and was deployed for an additional in 2012.
In 2014, the Royal Navy Police launched an investigation into greater than 600 alleged offences by British forces in Afghanistan, together with a variety of killings by the SAS squadron.
However RMP investigators instructed the BBC that they had been “obstructed” by the British navy, and the investigation led to 2019.
Colonel Oliver Lee, who was commander of the Royal Marines in Afghanistan in 2011, instructed the programme that the allegations had been “extremely surprising” and merited a full public inquiry.
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