Unredacted, a research unit based in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Westminster, is undertaking a multiyear investigation into the alleged commission and cover-up of war crimes by UK Special Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their research has helped to prompt a national public inquiry and contributed to a landmark BBC documentary.
The research unit found that members of the Special Air Service (SAS) and the Special Boat Service (SBS) were involved in operations designed to target insurgent leaders in the two countries, during which unarmed individuals, including minors, were deliberately targeted. These crimes were then covered up by photographing those killed next to weapons intentionally placed at the scene, and by fabricating operational reports to suggest that the unarmed individuals had in fact posed a threat.
Working alongside a team of journalists and lawyers, Unredacted investigates how these war crimes were carried out, how senior figures in UK Special Forces were aware of what was happening at the time and how the British state has worked to cover it up in the years since. This work has already forced the Government to establish a public inquiry, the Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan, which is ongoing.
Unredacted has worked closely with the BBC Panorama team on this investigation and on 12 May the BBC broadcast a major documentary, Special Forces: I Saw War Crimes. In this programme, former members of UK Special Forces broke their silence to give eyewitness accounts of war crimes committed by colleagues in Iraq and Afghanistan. They reported witnessing members of the SAS and SBS involved in the unlawful killing of unarmed individuals, including detainees and minors. These testimonies cover operations which took place over a decade in Iraq and Afghanistan. This calls into question the terms of reference of the public inquiry, which is currently examining one three-year period in Afghanistan.
The documentary also revealed new details of how much senior military and political figures, including former Prime Minister David Cameron, knew at the time, as well as evidence suggesting that senior military figures, and the Ministry of Defence itself, played a role in suppressing information about these incidents.
Unredacted is led by Professor Sam Raphael, Professor in International Relations and Human Rights and Dr Jac St John, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Westminster. The team, which includes two Quintin Hogg Trust (QHT)-funded PhD students, Namir Shabibi and Lydia Day, investigates and documents secretive UK state and corporate practices in the context of national security. Their work helps to uncover the details of secretive practices and identify abuses of power, enabling others to hold governments and corporations to account.
About the work, Professor Sam Raphael said: “Our ongoing investigation poses significant questions for the UK’s armed forces and democratic structures. There is mounting evidence that those at the highest levels of our defence institutions and government heard repeated allegations of war crimes committed by UK Special Forces, over many years, and failed to hold those responsible to account. Indeed, it appears that at least some senior officials were engaged in a concerted attempt to cover up the crimes and ensure they remained hidden forever. Given that much of the inquiry is being conducted behind closed doors, our ongoing work in this area is vital for understanding how ‘liberal’ state violence plays out on the ground, and with what consequences, as well as for helping to provide a measure of justice for the victims of these crimes.”
Unredacted’s work directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Learn more about Politics and International Relations courses at the University of Westminster.
Watch the documentary on BBC iPlayer.
