Afghan Unlawful Killings inquiry

UK public inquiry

The Rt Hon Lord Justice Haddon-Cave (chair)

Websitewww.iia.independent-inquiry.uk

The Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan is a 2023 British public inquiry into extrajudicial killings that took place in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, during the War in Afghanistan.^[1]

History

The UK Government's plan to hold the inquiry was initially announced by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in December 2022.^[2] It followed a BBC Panorama investigation that reported that British special forces killed 54 Afghan detainees in suspicious circumstances during their tours of Afghanistan.^[3]^[4]

The inquiry was launched on 22 March 2023 and is chaired by judge Charles Haddon-Cave.^[1]

Inquiry

The inquiry planned to focus on night-time raids, known as Deliberate Detention Operations, including the 2012 Shesh Aba raid. Terms of reference included investigating the alleged cover-ups of the fatal incidents.^[5]

Law firm Leigh Day represents families of the bereaved,^[1] Brian Altman represents the Ministry of Defence.^[6]

The judge, Lord Justice Haddon-Cave has the authority to compel witnesses to testify.^[3]

The inquiry centres around the activities of British special forces. The Ministry of Defence initially made an application to prevent the British public from hearing criticisms of the special forces, but abandoned that ambition on 3 July 2023.^[6]

Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs Johnny Mercer gave oral evidence to the inquiry on 21 February 2024.^[7]

Potential Afghan witnesses

Hundreds of former members of the Afghan Territorial Force (ATF) 444 and Commando Force (CF) 333 that were part of the Ministry of Interior Affairs General Command of Police Special Units who were trained by and fought alongside UK Special Forces have been refused resettlement to the UK.^[8]^[9] One former UK Special Forces officer told the BBC that "At a time when certain actions by UK Special Forces are under investigation by a public inquiry, their headquarters also had the power to prevent former Afghan Special Forces colleagues and potential witnesses to these actions from getting safely to the UK."^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Hui, Sylvia (22 March 2023). "UK opens inquiry into unlawful killing claims in Afghanistan". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
^ "UK launches probe into claims its troops killed Afghan civilians". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
^ ^a ^b Holden, Michael (22 March 2023). "UK inquiry vows to get to bottom of Afghan extra-judicial killings' allegations". Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
^ Hui, Sylvia (12 July 2022). "Report: UK soldiers killed dozens of Afghan detainees". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
^ O'Grady, Hannah; Gunter, Joel (22 March 2023). "Afghan unlawful killings inquiry 'critical to restoring reputation of armed forces'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Special Forces at centre of Afghanistan war crimes inquiry, MoD confirms". BBC News. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
^ "Minister tells of anger at Ben Wallace over Afghanistan death squad claims". The Guardian. Press Association. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
^ "Elite Afghan commandos 'betrayed' by the British and left behind to be hunted down". Sky News. 1 November 2023.
^ "Murdered, tortured or in hiding from the Taliban: The special forces abandoned by Britain". The Independent. 1 November 2023.
^ "Special forces blocked UK resettlement applications from elite Afghan troops". BBC News. 19 February 2024.

External links

Inquiry website

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

Overview

Prelude
History
Timeline
Operations
Logistics
Impact
International Security Assistance Force
Taliban insurgency
Drone strikes in Pakistan
Withdrawal of U.S. troops
- 2011–2016
- 2020–2021
Resolute Support Mission
Evacuation

Casualties
and losses

Afghan forces
Civilian
- 2001–2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2011
- 2012
Coalition
Aviation incidents

Timeline

2001	Bombing of Kandahar Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif Siege of Kunduz Herat uprising Fall of Kabul Battle of Tarinkot Fall of Kandahar Battle of Qala-i-Jangi Dasht-i-Leili massacre Battle of Shawali Kowt Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay Battle of Tora Bora
2002 –2006	2002 Guantanamo Bay Uruzgan bombing Kabul bombing 2003 Pakistan Embassy in Kabul attack 2004 2005 2006 Taliban offensive
2007	Shinwar shooting Hyderabad airstrike Nangar Khel incident Helmand airstrikes Baghlan bombing Bagram bombing South Korean hostage crisis
2008	Haska Meyna airstrike Azizabad airstrike Wech Bagtu airstrike Kabul Indian embassy bombing Kabul S Hotel attack Kidnapping of David Rohde Sarposa attack Kandahar bombing Spin Boldak bombing
2009	Granai airstrike Kunduz airstrike Narang raid February Kabul raids Kabul Indian embassy bombing Kandahar bombing NATO HQ bombing Camp Chapman attack Battle of Sabzak
2010	January Kabul attack Raid on Khataba February Kabul attack Uruzgan attack Sangin airstrike Maywand murders Tarok Kolache Nadahan bombing May Kabul bombing Badakhshan massacre Operation Halmazag
2011	Mano Gai airstrike Sarposa prison escape Bin Laden raid Logar bombing I-C Hotel Kabul attack Nimruz bombing Zabul bombing Chinook shootdown Helmand killing Pakistani border attack Ashura bombings
2012	Order of battle Urination video Kapisa airstrike Quran burning protests April attacks Forward Operating Base Delhi massacre Kandahar massacre September Camp Bastion raid Shesh Aba raid Body pictures
2013	Farah attack June Kabul bombings Presidential palace attack Herat U.S. consulate attack Jalalabad Indian consulate bombing
2014	Kabul S Hotel attack Herat Indian consulate attack Bagram bombing Paktika bombing Yahyakhel bombing December Kabul bombings Atiqullah Raufi assassination
2015	Park Palace attack Kabul Parliament attack Khost bombing April Jalalabad bombing 7 August Kabul attacks 10 August Kabul bombing 22 August Kabul bombing Ghazni prison escape Battle of Kunduz Hospital airstrike Kandahar Airport bombing Kabul Spanish Embassy attack Bagram bombing
2016	Nangarhar offensive Operation Omari April Kabul attack Kunduz-Takhar highway hostage crisis Kabul Canadian Embassy convoy bombing 30 June bombings July Kabul bombing Janikhel offensive AUoA attack September Kabul attacks Battle of Tarinkot Battle of Kunduz Battle of Boz Qandahari Mazar-i-Sharif German consulate bombing Bagram bombing
2017	January bombings Sangin airstrike March Kabul attack Nangarhar airstrike Camp Shaheen attack May Kabul bombing June Herat bombing Battle of Bora Bora June Lashkargar bombing August Herat attack 17 October attacks 20 October attacks 28 December Kabul bombing
2018	I-C Hotel Kabul attack STC Jalalabad attack Kabul ambulance bombing March Kabul bombing Kunduz madrassa attack 22 April Kabul bombing 30 April Kabul bombings Battle of Farah July Jalalabad bombing Battle of Darzab Ghazni offensive September Jalalabad bombing
2019	Maidan Shar attack Camp Shorabak attack 2019 Kabul mosque bombing 1 July Kabul attack Ghazni bombing 28 July Kabul bombing July Farah bombing 7 August Kabul bombing 17 August Kabul bombing 2 & 5 September Kabul bombings 17 September bombings Qalat bombing Jalalabad suicide bombing Haska Meyna mosque bombing Bagram attack
2020	6 March Kabul shooting Kabul gurdwara attack May attacks June attacks July attacks August attacks Jalalabad prison September attacks October attacks November attacks Kabul University attack December attacks
2021	Attacks Taliban offensive Kabul school bombing Battle of Kandahar Fall of Herat Battle of Lashkargah Capture of Zaranj Fall of Kabul Kunduz mosque bombing Kandahar bombing 2021 Kabul Airlift Operation Allies Refuge Operation Pitting Operation Devi Shakti Kabul airport attack August 29 drone strike