Afghanistan warfare crimes inquiry centered on conduct of UK’s particular forces, defence secretary Ben Wallace says

The UK’s particular forces are the main target of an inquiry into allegations of illegal exercise in Afghanistan, the defence secretary has confirmed.

An impartial inquiry, commissioned by Ben Wallace final December, is ready to give attention to alleged criminality by British armed forces within the war-torn nation between 2010 and 2013.

The probe may even have a look at allegations that the Royal Military Police’s (RMP) investigation of reported illegal killings by particular forces was insufficient.

In a brief assertion, Mr Wallace mentioned: “It is right that the Ministry of Defence continues to balance the requirement to be as open and transparent as possible against national security considerations.

“The inquiry is now reaching the stage of substantive hearings, and I can verify that the allegations relate to the conduct of UK particular forces.

“This confirmation is made in the exceptional circumstances of this inquiry, where the activities of this organisation are the central focus of the inquiry’s investigation, as set out in its terms of reference.

“Outside of this very particular context, such affirmation shouldn’t be seen to change the longstanding place of this authorities, and former governments, to not touch upon the deployment or actions of the UK particular forces.”

Two RMP investigations, codenamed Operation Northmoor and Operation Cestro, are set to be scrutinised by the probe.

No costs had been introduced beneath Operation Northmoor, a £10m investigation which was arrange in 2014 to look at allegations of executions by particular forces.

Operation Cestro noticed three troopers referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority. None of the three ended up going through prosecution.

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The inquiry is ready to take a look at allegations that “numerous” killings had been carried out, the alleged cover-up of criminality and insufficient investigations by the RMP.

At the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, the inquiry’s chairman, Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, mentioned he lately visited the workplace of the prosecutor on the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Arguments from the MoD and the RMP for restriction orders to be positioned over a number of the proof submitted to the inquiry are being offered at a two-day listening to.