British special forces have killed 54 Afghans under suspicious circumstances, the BBC claims. – No one is above the law, says Boris Johnson.
Less than 30 minutes ago
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Tuesday this the week published BBC a documentary about possible war crimes committed by British special forces in Afghanistan – and attempts to cover them up.
According to the BBC, special forces have illegally killed 54 unarmed and interned Afghans on a six-month mission in Afghanistan.
Several opposition politicians have called for an independent investigation into the situation. Stewart McDonald in the Scottish Nationalist Party, claims the topic has emerged internally in the past:
– The Ministry of Defense has swept it under the rug, he said during a question and answer session on Wednesday.
McDonald approached outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and asked if he would agree to an investigation.
To which Johnson replied that it had long been the practice “not to comment on special forces”. He stressed that this does not mean that he accepts the facts in the BBC’s claims, writes the BBC.
“No one who serves in the British Army is above the law,” Johnson replied.
Conservative politician Sir Bill Wiggin, on the other hand, criticized the BBC’s work, calling it “an attack” on the special forces:
“They are the bravest, most amazing voters I can ever hope to represent,” he said.
Officers should have known
The British broadcaster has uncovered the situation through military reports from the British Special Air Service Regiment (SAS).
The reports indicate that the special forces have illegally killed 54 people on a six-month mission in Afghanistan.
It is not clear exactly when the killings took place, but according to the BBC, it concerns a mission in 2011.
–Internal emails also show that several senior officers were aware of the concern about illegal killings, including former SAS chief Mark Carleton-Smith.
These must have failed to report the circumstances despite a legal obligation to do just that.
Will not comment on the allegations
People serving in the SAS Squadron tell the BBC that they saw special forces kill unarmed people during a night attack, and that they planted weapons at the scene to justify it.
Furthermore, it is claimed that soldiers in the special forces competed with each other to kill the most people.
The British Ministry of Defense says they can not comment on specific allegations, but a spokesman said British forces in Afghanistan “served with courage and professionalism” and that they were kept to the “highest standards”.
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