Ex-British special forces members break silence on war crimes

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some former members of the British Special Forces have confessed to committing war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, stating that the elite units killed unarmed individuals “while sleeping at night” and even “executed” children who had not yet reached combat age.

The BBC World Service today (Monday) published a report titled “Former British Special Forces Break Silence on War Crimes by Colleagues.”

Giving their accounts publicly for the first time, the veterans described witnessing members of the SAS murder unarmed people in their sleep and execute handcuffed detainees, including minors.

“They handcuffed a young boy and shot him,” recalled one veteran who served with the SAS in Afghanistan. “He was clearly a child – nowhere near fighting age.”

The veteran said that the killing of detainees had “become routine”. “They would search someone, handcuff them, then shoot them,” he said, adding that they would then cut the plastic handcuffs and “plant a pistol” next to the body.

The new testimony includes allegations of war crimes spanning over a decade – far longer than the three years currently under investigation in a judge-led public inquiry in the United Kingdom.

The SBS (Special Boat Service), the Royal Navy’s elite special forces regiment, has also been implicated for the first time in the most serious allegations – the execution of unarmed and wounded individuals.

A veteran who served with the SBS said that some troops displayed a “mob mentality”, describing their behaviour during operations as “barbaric”.

“I saw the quietest men change completely, showing serious psychopathic traits,” he said. “They were lawless. They felt untouchable.”

When asked by the BBC about the new eyewitness accounts, the Ministry of Defence stated that it was “fully committed” to supporting the ongoing public inquiry into the alleged war crimes and urged all veterans with relevant information to come forward.

kk/ma