In 2016, senior figures in Downing Street, including Jeremy Heywood, cabinet secretary to then-Prime Minister Theresa May, raised concerns about the SAS’s alleged misconduct in Afghanistan. This came to light during a recent public inquiry into allegations of unlawful SAS killings in Afghanistan. Concerns revolved around up to 80 deaths from SAS operations between 2010 and 2013, many of which were Afghan civilians killed during night raids. These concerns prompted the formation of Operation Northmoor in 2014, an investigation into these allegations, although no prosecutions were brought.
Key Points:
- Downing Street officials in 2016, led by Jeremy Heywood, expressed concern over the SAS’s conduct in Afghanistan, with some suggesting that the elite unit had “gone too far.”
- Concerns arose from up to 80 deaths during SAS deployment in Helmand province between 2010 and 2013. In one instance, nine people were reportedly killed in their sleep during a raid.
- Internal communications within the SAS highlighted concerns about their own conduct, with one email referring to an incident as “the latest massacre.”
- Operation Northmoor, started in 2014, began investigating the allegations of unlawful killings. By 2016, the operation was considering the potential arrest of some SAS members.
- The inquiry, currently chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, aims to determine if the military police investigations were influenced by political pressure or improper interference.
