The abuse claims include one major complaint from a Taliban bombmaker who says he was kept illegally behind bars after being arrested by troops who faced daily roadside blasts.
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More than a decade after the first United Kingdom troops were deployed to the country, the Daily Telegraph has revealed that an independent police unit has been set up to examine allegations of war crimes.
Although criminal investigations into United Kingdom soldiers have focused on Iraq, Operation Northmoor, the Afghanistan inquiry, was initially staffed by 60 Royal Military police officers.
“Our armed forces are rightly held to the highest standards and, whilst rare, where there are credible claims of criminal behaviour, we should investigate them.”
But on Thursday, September 22, the government announced that it will more than double the number of Royal Military Police staff to 124, and will provide a further US$9.8m in funding.
“An independent investigation is the best way to make sure that innocent personnel are not dragged through the courts without cause – none of the Op Northmoor allegations investigated have so far been referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority”.
There have also been numerous criminal investigations into United Kingdom soldiers in Iraq.
Nicholas Mercer, the former chief legal adviser for the British army during the Iraq war in 2003, warned that the government could not dismiss the allegations lightly.
Her comments come as another former British Army officer, Colonel Tim Collins, blasted what he called “parasitic” lawyers trying to make a “fast buck” by giving credence to jihadist narratives of the United Kingdom military as western crusaders.
Theresa May has declared her opposition to what she described as an “industry of vexatious allegations” being levelled against British troops.
And British serviceman facing prosecution over the death of an Iraqi teenager more than a decade ago yesterday accused the Army of having “failed in its most basic duty of care” by allowing soldiers to be subjected to abuse claims. “I feel we have done them a huge disservice”. Soldiers were killed in efforts to reduce risks to civilians.
Johnny Mercer, a Conservative MP and former army officer, said, “This is a national disgrace, we asked a generation of young people to conduct a deeply unpopular war, poorly resourced, poorly planned”.
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British troops are facing a fresh wave of criminal investigations into alleged wartime abuse – this time against Afghans – after the MoD secretly set up a new multi-million pound probe.
