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British sas10/7/2023 ![]() Special forces commanders were reportedly concerned about the killing of over 33 people by another rogue unit in the space of three months during night raids on their homes, reported The Times. These individual cases exemplify the gravity of the allegations and indicate potential violations against human rights. The BBC also reported on a 2012 raid conducted by one unit, resulting in the killing of two young parents and the severe wounding of their two infant sons. He acknowledged that as much evidence as possible should be heard in public to address public concerns.īritish soldiers of the 1st battalion of the Royal Welsh patrol in the streets of Showal in the Helmand province of Afghanistan on 25 February 2010. ![]() ![]() Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, the chair of the inquiry, emphasised the importance of transparency and public confidence in the proceedings. “Lawyers, human rights investigators and academics have been raising concerns for many years of successive attempts to cover up credible evidence of UK collusion in torture and in unlawful killings of terror suspects.” This is a rare and positive small step forward,” Ruth Blakeley, Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Sheffield, told The New Arab. “I welcome the news that the MoD is no longer seeking to restrict mention of the UK Special Forces as alleged perpetrators of unlawful killings. Leigh Day, the law firm representing Afghan families at the inquiry, said “at least 30 suspicious incidents which resulted in the deaths of more than 80 individuals” occurred between 20. "According to the BBC report, unarmed Afghans were routinely shot to death 'in cold blood' by Special Air Service troops during nighttime raids, and weapons were planted on them to justify the murders" In recent years, media attention on Britain's role in Afghanistan has increased, fuelled by pressure around human rights and legal concerns as well as a growing public interest in understanding the activities of British troops in the country. At its peak, there were around 137 British bases and 9,500 troops in the Helmand province alone. Around 750 remained to train local forces until NATO’s full withdrawal in 2021. It also reopens the door to prosecute soldiers after previous investigations were shut down.Īfter joining the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, most British troops left in 2014. The decision to acknowledge the involvement of Special Forces units marks a significant shift in the MoD's stance, which had previously sought to restrict any mention of such involvement. This development comes after years of reporting and pressure from bereaved families and media outlets, including the BBC. For example, a famous Recon Marine spent a couple of years with the Royal Marines Commando, while a Ranger passed SAS selection and served in an assault squadron for three years.Last week, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed for the first time that UK Special Forces are at the centre of a war crimes inquiry, shedding light on alleged unlawful killings in Afghanistan. But exchanges happen on the lower special-operations tiers. SAS operators will serve in Delta Force and SBS operators in SEAL Team 6 and vice versa. The US and UK militaries regularly exchange enlisted troops and officers, and these secondments are more frequent among special-operations forces. Charlie Beckwith created Delta Force in the late 1970s, he based it on the British SAS, in which he had served as an exchange officer. These relatively small British units took the fight to the Nazis and their allies and had an outsize strategic effect on the conflict. In World War II, the British and their Commonwealth allies created the first modern special-operations units, namely the Special Air Service, Special Boat Section, Commandos, and the Long Range Desert Group. The British are pioneers in special operations. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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