LONDON: The UK government and military covered up credible evidence of warcrimes by British soldiers against civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq,according to an investigation by the BBC and the Sunday Times.Ad
Leaks from two government-ordered inquiries into the conduct of troops inthe conflicts implicated troops in the killing of children and torture ofcivilians, the investigation found.
The allegations include murders by a soldier from the elite SAS unit, aswell as deaths in custody, beatings, torture and sexual abuse of detaineesby members of the Black Watch infantry unit.
Military detectives who unearthed evidence of the alleged war crimes toldthe year-long investigation by the newspaper and the BBC’s Panoramaprogramme that seniors commanders hid it “for political reasons”.Ad
“The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had no intention of prosecuting any soldierof whatever rank he was unless it was absolutely necessary, and theycouldn’t wriggle their way out of it,” an investigator told the BBC.
The MoD said the allegations were “untrue” and that the decisions ofprosecutors and investigators were “independent” and involved “externaloversight and legal advice”.
The accusations emerged from two war crimes inquiries — the Iraq HistoricAllegations Team (IHAT) and Operation Northmoor, which dealt withAfghanistan — which ended in 2017 without any prosecutions.
The government closed the probes after a solicitor, Phil Shiner, who hadrecorded hundreds of allegations, was struck off from practising law amidclaims he had paid people in Iraq to find clients.
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Amnesty International criticised the decision at the time and some formerIHAT and Operation Northmoor investigators now allege Shiner’s actions wereused as an excuse to close down the inquiries as they found wrongdoing athigh levels.
The Sunday Times reported military detectives discovered allegations offalsified documents that were “serious enough to merit prosecutions ofsenior officers”.
It reported one of the SAS’s most senior commanders was referred toprosecutors for attempting to pervert the course of justice before theinquiries were ended.
The newspaper said the revelations could result in a war crimesinvestigation at the International Criminal Court if Britain was deemed tohave failed to hold its military to account.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC on Sunday that despite the lackof any prosecutions, it had “got the right balance” in ensuring “spuriousclaims” were not pursued. – APP/AFP
