What's happened
A public inquiry into allegations of unlawful killings by the SAS in Afghanistan is underway, revealing internal Ministry of Defence concerns about the potential fallout. Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace faced questioning about his actions amid claims of extrajudicial killings during night raids from 2010 to 2013.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Dan Sabbagh in The Guardian, internal documents revealed that Sir Stephen Lovegrove advised against a public inquiry, fearing it would be 'expensive, unproductive and extremely bad' for the military's reputation. This contrasts with BBC News reports indicating that Wallace was aware of serious allegations against the SAS prior to changes in the Overseas Operations Bill, which reduced the time frame for prosecuting war crimes. The inquiry's findings may challenge the Ministry of Defence's previous denials of systemic abuse, as highlighted by the BBC's investigation into SAS conduct during night raids.
How we got here
The inquiry follows longstanding allegations that SAS soldiers unlawfully killed Afghan civilians during operations. Previous investigations, including Operation Northmoor, failed to result in charges, prompting renewed scrutiny as new evidence emerged.
More on these topics
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Ben Camey Wallace is an American basketball executive and former professional player who played most of his career in the National Basketball Association with the Detroit Pistons.
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The Special Air Service is a special forces unit of the British Army. The SAS was founded in 1941 as a regiment, and later reconstituted as a corps in 1950.
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The Ministry of Defence is the British government department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by Her Majesty's Government and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces.