A new investigative report by the BBC suggests that SAS squadrons deployed by the British government in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011 could have illegally killed 54 individuals during a six-month tour.
The BBC Panorama investigation focussed on one six-month deployment of the SAS operatives that started in November 2010. The squadron largely remained in Helmand, which is considered to be one of the most dangerous regions in Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s influence.
The special forces were tasked with Deliberate Detention Operations, also called “kill or capture raids,” and aimed at derailing Taliban commanders and restricting bomb-making networks.
SAS operatives in Afghanistan repeatedly killed detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances, according to an investigation by @BBCPanorama
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) July 12, 2022
This is the story of one of them https://t.co/xpPqm1Seg3 pic.twitter.com/BefsEUuxJ6
The report said that the former head of the United Kingdom’s (UK) Special Forces, Gen. Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, failed to act on evidence of unlawful killings or initiate a murder inquiry. In fact, even after the Royal Military Police initiated an investigation in 2013, Carleton-Smith failed to present supporting evidence. Moreover, despite there being evidence of misconduct, General Carleton-Smit once again deployed the SAS operatives for another six months.
The BBC’s made its assessment after investigating the operational reports of dozens of “kill or capture” night raids by the SAS in Helmand in 2010 and 2011.
Members of the SAS squadron confirmed that they had witnessed several SAS operatives “unlawfully kill unarmed people” during these raids.
Witnesses said the special forces even planted AK-47 as “drop weapons” to justify the killings. Reports suggest that the number of people killed in the raids outnumbered the number of weapons retrieved.
Concerningly, the BBC report says that members of the SAS were “competing with each other to get the most kills” to “achieve a higher body count” than the previous squadron. Furthermore, sources reported that the process of selecting the targets of the raids was also questionable, leading to the murder of several civilians.
New BBC investigation reveals classified documents of specific incidents of Afghans being killed in cold blood by UK forces. The BBC report mirrors @wikileaks publication of similar evidence of US forces in Afghanistan & Iraq. #Assange faces 175 years in US prison for journalism. https://t.co/KzTg786D0A
— Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@StellaMoris1) July 12, 2022
These incidents were found to be “strikingly similar” to several reports over the 2010-2011 time period of Afghan men being killed after allegedly pulling out AK-47s and hand grenades, drawing suspicion that there may be even more instances of planted evidence.
For instance, in separate 2011 reports on February 7, February 9, and February 13, the SAS justified killing a detainee who they said “attempted to engage the patrol with a rifle.”
Similarly, on February 16, 2011, two detainees were killed after one picked up a grenade and the other an AK-47. Concerningly, the death toll during the SAS squadron’s six-month deployment was “in the triple figures,” with no injuries or causalities reported among the security forces.
The BBC also quoted a former senior officer of the UK Special Forces as saying that there was “real concern” that “too many people were being killed on night raids,” noting the squadron’s explanations “didn’t make sense.
(1/4) We believe that BBC Panorama’s episode about SAS operations in Afghanistan, scheduled for broadcast Tuesday 12 July 2022, jumps to unjustified conclusions from allegations that have already been fully investigated.
— Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) July 11, 2022
He said, “Once somebody is detained, they shouldn’t end up dead. For it to happen over and over again was causing alarm at [the headquarters]. It was clear at the time that something was wrong.”
Despite these irregularities, the officers glorified the high death count as “quite incredible.” Moreover, even after high-ranking officer’s warnings of a “deliberate policy” of unlawful killings led to an investigation, the special forces officer deployed to look into the matter accepted the SAS operatives’ version without investigating the scene of the raids or interviewing witnesses.
Responding to the report, the Ministry of Defence reiterated that British troops “served with courage and professionalism in Afghanistan” and maintained the “highest standards.” The spokesperson refused to comment on the specific allegations but clarified that his lack of comment should not be interpreted as an acceptance of the “allegations’ factual accuracy.”
(3/4) Neither investigation found sufficient evidence to prosecute. Insinuating otherwise is irresponsible, incorrect and puts our brave Armed Forces personnel at risk both in the field and reputationally.
— Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) July 11, 2022
The Ministry argued that the BBC had reached an “unjustified conclusion from allegations that have already been fully investigated.” It added, “The Ministry of Defence of course stands open to considering any new evidence, there would be no obstruction. But in the absence of this, we strongly object to this subjective reporting.”
In 2020, similar allegations were raised about Australian special troops, following which an investigation found “credible evidence” about the use of “drop weapons” to justify the unlawful killing of 39 people.
(2/2) The Royal Military Police has requested this material is provided at the earliest opportunity so it can be reviewed.
— Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) July 12, 2022
Moreover, British forces have been subject to several such allegations of misconduct during foreign deployments. For instance, in 2007, over 1,000 cases were filed based on the accounts of roughly 400 Iraqis who reported witnessing or experiencing a whole host of crimes, including rape, torture, and mock executions at the hands of British soldiers from 2003 to 2009. However, an independent investigation conducted in 2020 concluded that none of the thousands of allegations are likely to lead to prosecution and dismissed the case.
The International Criminal Court’s former chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said that while the court was dropping the investigation into war crimes (as there was no evidence that the British government was not investigating into the matter), there was “reasonable basis to believe” that several war crimes, including rape, torture and willful killing, were committed by the British armed forces in Iraq.