Alan Pughsley, a former senior commander of the British police, has criticized the slow pace of the investigation into war crimes committed by the UK’s special forces in Afghanistan.
Alan Pughsley, who was responsible for investigating “Operation Northmoor” conducted by British special forces in Afghanistan in 2014, stated that a three-year delay in the investigation of war crimes committed by British special forces in Afghanistan has resulted in the loss of crucial opportunities.
The former senior British police commander said: “Those crucial opportunities were simply not afforded to RMP investigators until some three years later. So those contemporaneous accounts of witnesses and or suspects, if there were any, and forensic opportunities, and independent data and video footage, whatever that may have been, were simply not afforded to the SIO or the gold commander.”
The investigation into war crimes committed by British soldiers in Afghanistan began in December 2020, following several years of resistance from the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
Johnny Mercer, a former minister of state for veteran affairs, said in February last year that he had been told British special forces had committed war crimes in Afghanistan, and that investigating this matter requires time and an independent inquiry.
“If Britain wants to find out who committed war crimes, it should first ask the prince of England how he killed Afghans like chess pieces. Alongside him, forty-seven NATO countries that were in Afghanistan have also committed war crimes,” said Zalmay Afghan Yar, a military affairs expert.
“Without a doubt, reaching accurate information to prove these allegations takes time and patience,” said Asif Faqiri, a legal expert.
Previously, a UK officer told the Independent Inquiry into Afghanistan that the country’s special forces used the “kill them all” approach in their operations.
