Ben Wallace knew about SAS killings of Afghans in 2019, inquiry told

Sir Ben Wallace knew that allegations about the killings of Afghan civilians by SAS forces were “broadly accurate” four years before ordering a public inquiry, a hearing was told.

The Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan is investigating claims that up to 80 civilians were killed in suspicious circumstances by members of the special forces on night raids between 2010 and 2013.

The hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday was told that Sir Ben received a letter in October 2019 warning him that BBC Panorama was set to broadcast the allegations.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) letter described the allegations as “broadly accurate”, it was heard. The former defence secretary ordered the inquiry to examine the claims four years later.

The inquiry is also exploring whether a special forces unit, known to the probe as UKSF1, had a policy of executing men of “fighting age” who posed no threat in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.

Afghan families have accused the SAS of conducting a “campaign of murder” against civilians, while senior officers and personnel at the MoD “sought to prevent adequate investigation”.

Appearing before the court, Sir Ben was questioned by Oliver Glasgow KC, counsel to the inquiry, about the claims.

Mr Glasgow asked: “Is that the sort of submission that one needs to pay attention to, Sir Ben?”

The former defence secretary replied: “I did pay attention to it – we are sitting in a public inquiry to get to the bottom of it.”

Asked whether he was worried that the allegations had been judged to be “broadly accurate”, Sir Ben said: “I’ve said, I’ve never strayed from my belief that there may be more evidence out there.”

However, asked if “alarm bells” rang in his mind when he was told allegations being made by Panorama were “broadly accurate”, Sir Ben insisted: “Some of the allegations were spurious.”

However, he added: “It would always be wrong to say every single thing was vexatious and spurious.”

Meanwhile, Sir Ben was forced to reject accusations by Johnny Mercer, the former veterans’ minister, that he “lacked curiosity” when responding to allegations of a cover-up.

Mr Mercer wrote to Sir Ben in August 2020 shortly after emails surfaced in The Sunday Times which showed that senior special forces officers had expressed serious concerns about the killings of 33 people in 11 night raids in 2011.

The former veterans’ minister previously told the inquiry he was “angry” with Sir Ben, as well as the director of the special forces and the chief of the general staff, because they had “not done their job that was incumbent upon them with their rank and privileges in those organisations”.

Hitting back at Mr Mercer’s claims, Sir Ben said it was “highly inaccurate” that he lacked curiosity, and added: “I was absolutely inquisitive.”

Sir Ben said: “Not only did I seek to dig deeper, I also even sought to dig internationally whether or not the assurances I’d been given were truthful.

“Secondly, I established this inquiry … so I was absolutely inquisitive.

“I held the department to account if I felt that they were not producing what we had asked for.

“But I also had to reiterate that we had to act on the evidence before us and that I also have a duty to the men and women of the armed forces to make sure that their reputation is not dragged through the mud or indeed libelled or besmirched without evidence.”

Two Royal Military Police investigations, codenamed Operation Northmoor and Operation Cestro, are also being scrutinised by the inquiry.

No charges were brought under Operation Northmoor – a £10 million investigation that was set up in 2014 to examine allegations of executions by special forces, including those of children.

Operation Cestro saw three soldiers referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority, but none of them were prosecuted.

The inquiry continues.