A whistleblower under the pseudonym N1466 has made grave claims regarding the conduct of British special forces in Afghanistan. They allege that there had been efforts to suppress evidence related to concerns about extrajudicial killings. These allegations detail horrific examples of the killing of civilians not involved in hostilities. The outcome of this is a far-reaching investigation into the actions of the Special Air Service (SAS), examining possible war crimes perpetrated on their watch.
N1466’s characterization of the alleged killings as a “stain” on the reputation of special forces. While they celebrated the need for support for these units, it needed to come with a serious commitment to transparency and accountability. During a recent investigation, N1466 provided thorough documentation of wrongdoing. These issues go back to February 2011, when these issues were first brought to the special forces director.
N1466 tell us that there was a failure in the chain of command to act on some dangerous deficiencies. As a consequence, extrajudicial shootings—including those of two young children—went unpunished until 2013. When N1466 returned to the special forces in 2014, she learned that such events had persisted without interruption.
“The root problem was the intent [to kill],” N1466 asserted, pointing to a troubling culture within the special forces that prioritized lethal outcomes over adherence to the law. The whistleblower recounted one particular raid where special forces shot at a mosquito net until no movement was detected inside, raising alarms about the tactics employed.
As an illustration, N1466 covered last week’s deadly raid that killed nine Afghan nationals. Only three of the rifles recovered during the scene were ever found. Such incidents led him to take more drastic action. In 2015, N1466 took his concerns directly to military police. The whistleblower expressed deep frustration over being part of an organization that allowed rogue elements to operate outside the law.
“I was deeply troubled by what I strongly suspected was the unlawful killing of innocent people, including children,” – N1466
In fact, during the inquiry, N1466 testified that he believed that they were placing weapons on the slain victims to legitimize the murder. Allegations surfaced that the then director of special forces and other senior personnel sought to suppress information regarding these unlawful acts.
The problem of accountability went deeper than individual actions N1466 condemned the leadership for not doing what should have been done. “The director … made a conscious decision that he is going to suppress this, cover this up and do a little fake exercise to make it look like he’s done something,” they stated.
N1466 lamented the missed opportunity to prevent these moves in 2011. Most importantly, they reflected on the damage—that horrifying loss of life—that was caused by that delay. “We could have stopped it in February 2011. Those people who died unnecessarily from that point onwards, there were two toddlers shot in their bed next to their parents,” they said.
While very specific to the question we asked, the inquiry had significant broader implications. Further, N1466 claimed that the operations consistently violated the Geneva Conventions. “We are talking about war crimes … taking detainees back on target and executing them,” N1466 noted, reminding that UK special forces owed a duty of care under international law.
Despite these serious accusations, doubts still exist as to whether a full, independent investigation is possible. N1466 wasn’t satisfied with the response from senior officials, demonstrating that there’s an overall culture of silence around misconduct. “I had lost all faith that the chain of command would be minded to support a transparent and accountable investigation,” they remarked.
The quotes cited above from other parties to the inquiry only serve to underscore the seriousness of these allegations. As one person who has experienced these events, Aziz, said, #SayTheirNames — justice for people killed in illegal lynchings.
“Even to this day, they are grieving the incident that happened to us … We are asking for the court to listen to these children and bring justice,” – Aziz
N1466 is committed to bringing transparency to these harmful practices. This joint initiative is a small but important step in a larger and growing movement demanding accountability of armed forces. The whistleblower emphasized that most people who enlisted in the special forces did so with good intentions. Their intent was not to commit any illegal acts or cover up any malfeasance.
“We didn’t join UKSF for this sort of behaviour – toddlers to get shot in their beds or random killing,” – N1466
As investigations continue, it is still uncertain how the military can go about addressing these accusations and effecting needed reforms. This inquiry seeks to find out how and why that occurred. Beyond that, it has an interest in why all of these events were allowed to persist for so long.