SAS units ‘executed Afghan males of fighting age’

SAS units pursued a policy of executing Afghan males of fighting age when they posed no immediate threat, an inquiry heard today (mon).

The probe is hearing allegations more than 50 summary killings were carried out by elite troops in war-torn Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.

The enquiry is also hearing allegations the Royal Military Police’s (RMP) investigation of reported unlawful killings by Special Forces soldiers was inadequate.

SAS insiders, whose motto is Who Dares Wins, first raised the alarm in 2011 after a suspicious number of raids by their comrades led to prisoners being killed after they had been detained.

The inquiry was launched in the wake of legal challenges to the Government by Leigh Day solicitors on behalf of the Saifullah and Noorzai families.

Lead counsel to the inquiry Oliver Glasgow, KC, told the inquiry at the Royal Courts of Justice:

‘This inquiry is more than just a very public demonstration that the moral code and the international law under which our Special Forces operate cannot be broken with impunity.

‘It is about showing to the British armed forces, the British public, and the international community (including our allies and our enemies), that the UK applies the same exacting standards that we expect of others to ourselves.

‘It is about showing that, no matter where the evidence may lead us, we are not frightened of what we might uncover.

‘And it is about showing that we are determined to establish the truth, to reconcile ourselves to it, and to learn from it.

‘Since only once that has been done can we properly address the consequences and either seek the punishment of those involved or to remove the taint of unfair accusations.’

‘Let there be no misunderstanding amongst those who have something to hide.

‘This Inquiry will use all the powers at its disposal to get to the truth. It will use all its powers to ensure that if there is credible information of wrongdoing by anyone concerned (no matter how senior their position) they are referred to the relevant authorities.

‘And it will use all its powers to ensure that anyone who seeks to frustrate or impede the progress and conclusion of this Inquiry will be prosecuted. ‘

Mr Glasgow said between 2010 and 2013 there were a series of attacks by Taliban insurgents on British and other allied targets.

In response, UK Special Forces used DDOs (deliberate detention operations) and these may have been abused in order to target fighting age men.

‘The central allegation at the heart of this Inquiry is stark: that the DDOs were abused by elements within UK Special Forces who carried out a policy of executing Afghan males of fighting age in circumstances where they posed no immediate threat or were hors de combat.’

The court heard that there is evidence of a conversation in which a British soldier admitted that there was a policy in UK special forces to kill fighting age males.

‘Information, recovered years later from a restricted security compartment, that gave details of a conversation in which a solider allegedly admitted that there was a policy within UK Special Forces to kill fighting age males.’

Lord Justice Haddon-Cave earlier appealed for military whistle blowers to lift the lid on claims SAS soldiers murdered dozens of unarmed prisoners on night raids in southern Afghanistan.

The judge has insisted the inquiry is vital for ‘restoring the reputation of the military’.

It follows repeated claims that elite Special Forces soldiers killed up to 54 people, many of them suspected Taliban members, in suspicious circumstances between 2010 and 2013.

Two RMP investigations, codenamed Operation Northmoor and Operation Cestro, are set to be scrutinised by the inquiry.

No charges were brought under Operation Northmoor, set up in 2014 to examine allegations of executions by special forces, including those of children.

Operation Cestro saw three soldiers referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority, but none were prosecuted.

Mr Glasgow told the inquiry ‘for reasons of national security, it is not possible to name the individuals involved and their identities will be the subject of restriction orders.

‘Each of the soldiers has been given a unique nominal number and, save for a handful who have been ascribed letters rather than numbers, most are known by a four-digit number preceded by an “N” – where necessary, this will be referred to as their ‘N-number.’

He referred to the case of Mohammed Ibrahim, who was killed on 30 November 2010.

His son Abdul Walli was described as a ‘core participant’ who claims to have lost a relative as a consequence of alleged unlawful activity by British armed forces.

‘On 30 November 2010, UK Special Forces sub-unit (commanded by N1141 SU1 OC) conducted a night-time DDO in the area of Gereshk, near Nad e Ali in central Helmand.’

The target of the operation was a ‘suspected mid-level Taliban Commander’, referred to as ‘3’.

‘According to the intelligence that had been provided, he was active in the emplacement of IEDs, ambushes against ISAF forces and accurate small arms fire [SAF] engagements.’

During the course of the operation Mr Ibrahim was killed.

‘He was not Objective “3” and therefore not a target of the operation.’

Once Mr Ibrahim was killed, photos were taken of his body, which appeared to show a grenade
next to his body, and detonators and a compound were found at the compound, said Mr Glasgow.

‘The family insist that the deceased was an innocent civilian who worked as an Afghan government official between 2001 and 2007, firstly as a deputy police chief and latterly as the Gereshk District Governor alongside British Forces in Helmand.

‘They say that there were no weapons at the compound, and that UK Special Forces had cleared the compound before singling out the deceased to go back inside. Abdul Walli states that when he entered the property, he found the body of his father still bound at the front with plasticuffs, bullet injuries to his face and chest, and dog bites to his upper body.

‘BBC Panorama visited the compound and spoke with Abdul Walli.

‘It was noted that serious concerns were raised not only by Governor Mangal, but also by President Karzai, regarding the death of the deceased. Local officials also maintained that the deceased was a civilian and a former government official.

‘The Inquiry will review the evidence with care and consider not only what happened on the night that Mohammed Ibrahim was killed but also whether the killing was covered up, and whether a proper investigation was carried out by the RMP.’

Brian Altman, KC, for the MOD, Paul Greaney, KC, for the RMP and Richard Hermer, KC, on behalf of Leigh Day solicitors are also set to address the inquiry over the next three days.

The independent statutory inquiry was commissioned by former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace under the 2005 Inquiries Act.

The inquiry continues.
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