SAS not investigated over war crime allegations amid morale fears, inquiry hears
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- A former UK Special Forces chief of staff revealed that war crimes allegations against the SAS were not referred to military police due to concerns that investigations would disrupt operations and damage morale.
- The internal review commissioned instead was led by an officer close to the SAS unit under scrutiny, took only a week, and concluded with no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, sparking controversy.
- Serious concerns arose in 2011 from whistleblower testimony and reports indicating possible extrajudicial killings and falsified reports by the SAS during operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
- The inquiry heard that complaints from Afghan special forces and an international monitoring organization highlighted alleged unlawful killings, yet military police were not alerted to avoid operational delays and maintain trust within the forces.
- Some senior officers expressed regret or criticized the handling of the situation, acknowledging that signs of misconduct should have been more thoroughly investigated at the time.