- The BBC revealed the accounts of former soldiers about the crimes of SAS and SBS in Afghanistan. For the first time, veterans publicly interrupted silence
- Special forces officers were to shoot defenseless prisoners and civilians. For some it has almost become a routine
- The BBC also revealed that Prime Minister David Cameron was to be regularly informed about these activities, including by the then President of Afghanistan
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Former members of the British special forces interrupted many years of silence to convey BBC relations about the crimes committed by SAS and SBS in Afghanistan. Veterans for the first time publicly described how their colleagues shot sleeping civilians and killed prisoners' shackled. Some of the victims were minor. “He handcuffed the young boy and shot him,” recalls BBC one of the former soldiers who served in Sas. In the report in the BBC Panorama program, the testimonies of about 30 witnesses were revealed who saw what happened in Afghanistan after 2001 for at least a decade.
Crime Witnesses: Everyone knew
BBC's journalistic investigation has been going on for several years. In 2022, the station revealed the gloomy details of the Operations of the British SAS commandos in Afghanistan, including shooting prisoners and putting weapons to cover up the murder, concealing information and competing between British commandos about the number of people killed. A public investigation is also underway in this matter. Now the witnesses have been in public for the first time, although with anonymity, what they saw with their own eyes in Afghanistan and Iraq. As BBC emphasizes, it turned out for the first time that the crimes were involved in, among others Elite branch of the Special Forces of the Royal Navy – SBS.
Witnesses revealed shocking details, emphasizing that for some of their former colleagues killing “became a routine”. “I saw the quiet guys changed, showed serious psychopathic features,” said BBC Veteran who served in SBS. – They were above the law. They felt untouchable – he added.
According to witnesses, war rights were regularly violated for over a decade, which say that civilians can only be killed when they pose a direct threat to the life of soldiers. Members of SAS and SBS created their own rules.
– During some operations, the ward entered the guest house and killed all who were there – said BBC one of the former SAS members. – They went inside and shot everyone who slept there at the entrance.
British commandos were to compete with each other for the number of victims. According to witnesses about the crimes, everyone knew. “There was an unconditional approval for what was happening,” one of the witnesses emphasized.
Prime Minister David Cameron was to know about crimes in Afghanistan
BBC's report also revealed that the then prime minister of Great Britain David Cameron “was repeatedly warned during his term that British special forces kill civilians in Afghanistan”, including by the then President of Afghanistan Hamida Karza.
Asked by the BBC about the testimonies of eyewitnesses, the British Ministry of Defense said that he was “fully involved” in supporting the ongoing public investigation into the alleged war crimes and that it summoned all veterans with relevant information to disclose. However, the ministry did not want to comment on the details. In the matter of alleged ignoring of reports by Cameron, his spokesman told the BBC that the issues raised by President Karzaj concerned NATO forces at all and that “specific incidents regarding the British special forces were not discussed.” He also added that “all suggestions that Lord Cameron was in collusion in hiding allegations of serious criminal offenses are a total nonsense.”
