Former members of the British Special Forces (SAS and SBS) have broken their silence for the first time, giving shocking testimony about alleged war crimes committed by their colleagues during missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In an exclusive report for BBC Panorama, they tell of the killings of unarmed civilians, including children, who were executed while they were handcuffed or asleep.
An SAS veteran said the execution of detainees had become "commonplace," describing instances where troops would place weapons next to bodies to present them as armed fighters, writes A2 CNN. Another witness from SBS described the behavior of some soldiers as "barbaric," telling of instances where the wounded were deliberately executed.
Testimony from more than 30 former soldiers reveals a culture of silence and impunity within the Special Forces, where nighttime operations often ended in targeted killings and evidence tampering. Some teams even kept records of the number of kills, competing with each other.
Former Prime Minister David Cameron has been repeatedly briefed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the killings of civilians by British troops, according to BBC sources. However, his spokesmen deny that he had any knowledge of specific incidents.
The UK public inquiry is currently only looking at a three-year period, while new evidence suggests the possible crimes stretch back more than a decade. Former military prosecutor Bruce Houlder has called for the inquiry to reveal the extent of involvement and knowledge at the highest levels of the British command. (A2 Televizion)
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