THE Ministry of Defence has denied accusations that authorities covered up killing and torture by UK troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Sunday Times newspaper revealed how leaked documents included claims that children had been targeted in some instances, and that the government and army acted to protect those involved.
SAS and Black Watch troops are amongst those implicated.
The documents are said to have come from inside the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), which investigated alleged war crimes committed by British soldiers in Iraq, and Operation Northmoor, which covered Afghanistan.
The UK Government closed IHAT and Operation Northmoor in 2017 after Phil Shiner, a solicitor who had taken more than 1,000 cases to IHAT, was struck off from practising law amid allegations he had paid people in Iraq to find clients.
The new revelations follow an investigation by the Sunday Times and the BBC, which will air a Panorama documentary on the matter at 9pm on BBC One tonight.
Rachel Logan of Amnesty International UK called the claims “deeply troubling”, adding: “If true, those responsible for sanctioning and carrying out torture and other war crimes, at all levels, must be held accountable and where appropriate, prosecuted.
“Instead of consistently seeking to sweep these most serious of allegations under the carpet, Britain needs to stand up against torture, uphold its international commitments and show it treats these cases with the seriousness they deserve.”
SNP defence spokesperson Stewart Macdonald called for a judge-led independent inquiry, saying: “What is outlined in these reports represent gross violations of the Geneva Convention and attempts to cover up crimes of the worst possible kind.”
However, the MoD said: “Allegations that the MoD interfered with investigations or prosecution decisions relating to the conduct of UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are untrue.
“Throughout the process the decisions of prosecutors and the investigators have been independent of the MoD and involved external oversight and legal advice.
“Our military served with great courage and professionalism in Iraq and Afghanistan and we hold them to the highest standards. It is government policy that military operations are conducted in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict” which strictly prohibits torture of any kind.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here