Britain's Special Air Service soldiers are shying away from missions where they may have to kill, serving SAS officers say, because they fear being accused of war crimes later by a public inquiry that has hung over the regiment for nearly four years.
The officers told the Telegraph that there have been no outright refusals to deploy. But some serving members are now "less inclined" to volunteer for dangerous operations they could be investigated over. Asked what kind of operations, one officer answered: "Jobs where you might end up shooting people."
Serving SAS officers almost never speak to the press, even anonymously. The one quoted by the paper said the regiment feels "permanently and constantly scrutinised, without reprieve" and called it the worst part of the job. The officer still expects troops to act "correctly" on operations and not "hesitate" when they have to shoot.
The inquiry in question is the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, chaired by Lord Justice Sir Charles Haddon-Cave. It is examining allegations that SAS soldiers executed detained men and children during night raids between mid-2010 and mid-2013, that the killings were covered up, and that military police failed to investigate, according to BFBS Forces News.
The Ministry of Defence set it up in December 2022, after a BBC Panorama i
