Afghanistan War Crimes: British Special Forces Refuse to Answer Questions

According to a report published by The Guardian, several members of Britain’s elite Special Air Service (SAS) have refused to answer questions as part of an investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. Launched in 2023, the inquiry aims to examine alleged extrajudicial killings by British forces in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013. It is also investigating whether the Royal Military Police properly investigated the incidents or attempted to cover them up.

According to The Guardian, at a hearing on Monday, Lord Justice Charles Haddon-Cave said that written requests for information had been sent to several SAS personnel linked to alleged “deliberate detention operations” (DDOs). The judge was quoted by the newspaper as saying, “A large number have indicated that they intend to rely on their privilege against self-incrimination and refuse to answer any questions asked by the inquiry.”

The inquiry has also encountered difficulties obtaining documents from the Ministry of Defence. At a hearing in September, Haddon-Cave revealed that 97 million records from the period under investigation had been excluded from an earlier review. The judge described the disclosure as “troubling and distressing.” The Ministry of Defense says it expects that only around 1,200 additional documents will need to be disclosed and has apologized for delays in responding to the inquiry’s questions.

In April, British media reported that a significant number of SAS personnel were resigning amid fears of potential legal action over past operations. The Telegraph, citing an unnamed source, reported: “Morale is very poor at the moment.” The inquiry is examining allegations that 80 Afghan civilians were killed during SAS operations. A senior Special Forces whistleblower alleged that commanders failed to act on warnings about unlawful killings in 2011.

In 2022, a BBC Panorama investigation reported that one SAS unit had killed 54 people under suspicious circumstances during a six-month deployment in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, from November 2010 to May 2011. Former SAS personnel told the BBC that unarmed Afghan men had been killed during night raids and those weapons were planted at the scenes to make the shootings appear justified. The BBC also reported that senior Special Forces officers were aware of concerns about the killings but failed to inform the military police.

British forces were deployed to Afghanistan in 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, as part of the US-led invasion. Britain subsequently became the largest contributor to the NATO-led mission, with British troops heavily involved in fighting the Taliban, particularly in the southern province of Helmand. More than 450 British military personnel were killed during the nearly two-decade-long campaign. Britain withdrew its remaining troops in 2021, when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan following the collapse of the Western-backed government.