SAS Conduct Under Review: British Officials Seek Accountability
Senior British officials called for restrictions on the operations of the Special Air Service (SAS) back in 2016 amid mounting concerns over alleged unlawful killings of Afghan civilians by the elite unit. According to a memo revealed during an ongoing public inquiry into the SAS’s conduct, Jeremy Heywood, who served as cabinet secretary to then-Prime Minister Theresa May, led the criticism of the SAS’s behavior. The memo, penned by David Neal, head of Britain’s military police, highlighted a growing number of detractors within Whitehall and voiced concerns raised by other senior officials.
During a meeting between Neal and Stephen Lovegrove, the highest-ranking civil servant at the Ministry of Defence, it was stated that there was a troubling culture within Britain’s special forces. Lovegrove expressed his belief that the SAS had gone too far and that there was a diminishing sympathy for UK special forces in the highest levels of government. The cabinet secretary at the time, Sir Jeremy Heywood, was named as a detractor of the SAS.
The focus on the SAS’s conduct stemmed from investigations into approximately 80 deaths related to their deployments in Helmand province between 2010 and 2013. Many of these cases involved the shooting of Afghan civilians during SAS night raids. The inquiry heard about one operation in which nine individuals were allegedly killed while asleep, and several others were killed after reportedly posing a threat with a grenade or AK47. The severity of these cases generated internal tensions within the SAS, leading to the use of terms such as the latest massacre in emails.
In response to mounting concerns, Operation Northmoor was launched in 2014—a military police inquiry tasked with investigating allegations of unlawful killings by the SAS in Afghanistan. By 2016, the investigation had made progress, identifying a small number of elite unit members for potential arrest. Downing Street was informed about the inquiry’s developments.
In February 2016, a letter sent to the Prime Minister’s Office warned of suspected murders of Afghans by UK special forces, citing credible sources from the armed forces. The letter, sent by Graeme Biggar, chief of staff to then-Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, was delivered to Simon Case, the official in charge of the Prime Minister’s office. The letter was also copied to Jeremy Heywood and the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright. The families of 33 Afghan victims emphasized that knowledge of suspected wrongdoing by UK special forces was widespread within the government.
Despite investigations conducted under Operation Northmoor, no prosecutions were pursued, and the operation was eventually closed in 2019. However, the release of internal Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents following legal challenges by the victims’ families and investigative journalism by the BBC and others prompted former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to initiate a public inquiry in order to shed light on the matter. The public inquiry, led by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, is still ongoing.
The MoD declined to comment on the specific allegations, stating that it is up to the statutory inquiry team to determine which allegations are investigated. The inquiry aims to establish whether political pressure and improper interference may have influenced the military police investigations.
With the ongoing public inquiry, the SAS’s conduct remains under intense scrutiny, with calls for accountability and transparency growing louder. The outcome of the inquiry will be closely watched as it seeks to shed light on the alleged unlawful killings and determine the extent of responsibility within the British military.
