. | . |
UK launches independent probe into Afghan war crimes claims by AFP Staff Writers London (AFP) Dec 15, 2022 Britain's defence ministry announced on Thursday it had established an independent inquiry to investigate allegations of unlawful killings by British soldiers in Afghanistan over a decade ago. Commandos in the elite Special Air Service (SAS) corps have been accused of killing dozens of Afghans in suspicious circumstances, but the military chain of command concealed concerns, the BBC claimed earlier this year. Unarmed Afghan men were routinely shot dead "in cold blood" by SAS troops during night-time raids, and weapons were planted on them to justify the crimes, the broadcaster reported following its own four-year probe. The newly launched statutory inquiry -- to start early next year and be chaired by senior judge Charles Haddon-Cave -- will probe the alleged wrongdoing spanning a period from mid-2010 to mid-2013. It will also scrutinise the "adequacy" of the Ministry of Defence's response to the concerns raised about soldiers' conduct and "assess what lessons can be learned", the ministry said. "If there are further lessons to learn it is right that we consider those fully to ensure all allegations are handled appropriately and in equal measure," Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement. He added that would "ensure our personnel are adequately protected from unnecessary reinvestigations". Wallace said the MoD had made "a number of changes" in recent years to deal with serious allegations of wrongdoing, including the creation of a Defence Serious Crime Unit. The BBC's Panorama programme investigation identified 54 people shot dead in suspicious circumstances by one SAS unit during a six-month tour of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan from November 2010 to May 2011. Senior officers including General Mark Carleton-Smith, who headed UK Special Forces at the time, were aware of concerns within the SAS about the operations but failed to report them to military police, it said. Under UK law governing the armed forces, it is a criminal offence for a commanding officer to fail to inform the military police if they become aware of potential war crimes, the BBC noted. The MoD has said previous investigations into the conduct of UK forces in Afghanistan had found insufficient evidence to bring charges. The families of eight people, including three young boys, who allege they were murdered by British soldiers in two separate night raids in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012, welcomed the announcement. "My family has waited 10 years to find out why this happened," a member of the Noorzai family said in a statement released via their London-based law firm. "We are happy that finally after so many years someone is going to investigate this thoroughly. "We live in hope that those responsible will one day be held to account." jj/phz/kjm
China protests shine light on limits of Uyghur solidarity Shanghai (AFP) Dec 14, 2022 Their deaths in a fire triggered China's biggest protests in generations, but few people seemed to know the victims were Uyghur families torn apart by Beijing's crackdown in Xinjiang. On November 24, 10 people died in the apartment block blaze in Urumqi, the northwestern region's capital, with many around China blaming a grinding Covid lockdown for scuppering rescue efforts. The news unleashed long-simmering resentment over Beijing's health curbs, setting off widespread demonstrations that helpe ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |