UK military covered up war crimes in Afghanistan, whistleblower tells inquiry

Special forces members did not sign up to 'shoot toddlers' and commit 'random killings', former senior officer says

British soldiers in Afghanistan in 2010. Special forces have been accused of committing war crimes at that time. Getty Images

British special forces in Afghanistan appeared to commit war crimes by executing suspects, a former senior British officer has told a public inquiry.

Despite widespread knowledge in the chain of command, nothing was done, the whistleblower claimed. Britain's Ministry of Defence ordered the inquiry after a BBC TV documentary reported that soldiers from the elite Special Air Service (SAS) killed 54 people in suspicious circumstances during the war in Afghanistan more than a decade ago.

The investigation is examining night-time raids by British forces from mid-2010 to mid-2013, when troops were part of a US-led coalition fighting against the Taliban and other militant groups.

The whistleblower, who is known to the inquiry only as N1466, said the alleged murder of civilians by UK special forces in the country is “not special, it’s not elite, it’s not what we stand for”. During his evidence, which was given behind closed doors, the witness, who was assistant chief of staff for operations in the UK special forces headquarters, said “we didn’t join [the special forces] for this sort of behaviour … toddlers to get shot in their beds or random killing”.

He appeared to refer to the children of Hussain Uzbakzai and his wife Ruqquia Haleem, who are alleged to have been shot while asleep in their beds during a night-time operation in 2012 in the village of Shesh Aba, in Afghanistan's southern Nimruz province.

N1466 told the inquiry that one UK special forces unit, known as UKSF1, used tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) to commit war crimes. “I will be clear, we are talking about war crimes … we are talking about taking detainees back on target and executing them with a pretence … that they conducted violence against the forces," he added.

A batch of documents released by the inquiry included a summary of an interview between N1466 and the Royal Military Police. During the October 2018 interview, he told of an incident in which UKSF1 members went to clear a compound where people were in a room hiding under a mosquito net.

The document said: “They did not reveal themselves, so the UKSF1 shot at the net until there was no movement. When the net was uncovered it was women and children. The incident was covered up and the individual who did the shooting was allegedly given some form of award to make it look legitimate.”

At the conclusion of his evidence, N1466 said “our forebears will look back … with shame” at the way special forces members judged themselves.

Charles Haddon-Cave, chairman of the Afghanistan inquiry. Getty Images

'Shot across the bows'

British military police have conducted several inquiries into allegations of misconduct by forces in Afghanistan, including those claims about the SAS. But the ministry has said none found enough evidence to begin prosecutions.

The aim of the inquiry is to determine whether there is credible information of extrajudicial killings, whether investigations by the military police into concerns were conducted properly and if unlawful killings were covered up.

Its chairman, senior judge Charles Haddon-Cave, said it was important that anyone who broke the law was referred to the authorities. The inquiry has heard previous concerns from British soldiers who were in Afghanistan about UKSF1, with one saying the unit killed fighting-age men during operations regardless of whether or not they posed a threat.

In his evidence, N1466 said that in 2011 he became suspicious of the number of detainees killed during UKSF1 activities. Based on an examination of official reports of raids, he said the number of those killed in action exceeded the number of weapons recovered. Reports of detainees repeatedly attempting to pick up weapons or use grenades after they were captured did not appear credible, he added.

He said he raised concerns with the director of special forces, referred to as N1802, but rather than consider criminal action, he instead only ordered a review of operational tactics. N1466 told the inquiry there was a failure by the director to “ever talk about possible criminal activity”.

“I felt at the time that N1802 intended that the TTP review would have the effect of firing a warning shot across the bows of the sub-unit to encourage them to change their behaviour," N1466 said. “I was sure at the time, and I remain sure, that N1802 knew what was happening on the ground.”

The UK Defence Secretary John Healey has written to special forces personnel to recognise their professionalism and sacrifice and to emphasise that the government “has your back”, it is understood.

A representative for the ministry said the government was "fully committed to supporting the independent inquiry relating to Afghanistan as it continues its work ... we also remain committed to providing the support that our special forces deserve, while maintaining the transparency and accountability that the British people rightly expect from their armed forces".