THE SAS has blasted governments for letting down its veterans – by allowing decades-long legal witch hunts.
In an extraordinary step the SAS association has urged its members to break cover – and declare their Special Forces backgrounds – in order to lobby MPs about comrades “hounded for doing their duty”.
David Davis discussed the letter during PMQs todaySky News
Starmer praised the ‘bravery and sacrifice’ of the armed forcesSky News
Tory MP David Davis discussed the letter during Prime Minister’s Questions today – saying veterans were “punished in their declining years for doing nothing but carrying out their patriotic duties”.
The SAS association is a charity which exists to solely to support the Who Dares Wins regiment and its veterans.
In a sign of the fury among the real life Rogue Heroes, the association shared a template letter for its members to send their MPs.
The letter obtained by The Sun warns that veterans feel “badly let down by successive governments” and “unjustly hounded for doing their duty”.
It blames one-sided prosecutions and states: “UK Special Forces veterans feel they alone face criminal investigation and risk prosecution for doing what they were trained, authorised, and expected to do as part of a successful counterterrorist campaign.”
Veterans from other Special Forces units including the SBS, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and military intelligence units have also been encouraged to sign the letters, The Sun understands.
It warns the witch hunts are hitting morale of serving soldiers and marines.
It states: “It is not lost on those currently serving, or those who may wish to serve, that the ingenuity and courage they display today could see them accused of crimes decades in the future.”
The letter focuses on Northern Ireland after a coroner ruled last month that SAS troops were wrong to open fire on four IRA terrorists who were armed with Kalashnikovs and anti-aircraft gun moments after they attacked a police station.
The template encourages members to state how long they served and in which branch of the “UKSF”.
It continues: “I am writing to lodge my deep, and increasing, concern about the treatment of veterans caused by the processes in place to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.”
It claims the coroner’s verdict over the 1992 shooting in Clonoe “underscored how Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights is not being interpreted and applied in a balanced and realistic way”.
Hundreds of special forces veterans “are ensnared in legacy processes, in many cases facing years more of uncertainty and stress after decades of the same”.
It adds: “With seemingly endless avenues for legal appeal and continual changes in government policy…veterans feel unjustly hounded for doing their duty.
“To date all the focus seems to have been on the right to life of armed terrorists.
“When will this be balanced by due account being taken of the State’s wider obligation?”
At PMQ’s, Davis said: “Four weeks ago the Northern Ireland coroner accused British soldiers of unlawful killing after they engaged with IRA would-be murderers.
“After careful reading, as far as I can see, this judgement was based on no evidence whatsoever.
“Over 100 special forces soldiers have been summoned before these enquiries.
“Not one IRA leader has been summoned in the same way.
“Soldiers that serve our country with honour, heroism and skill are being punished in their declining years for doing nothing but carrying out their patriotic duties.”
Turning to the Prime Minister he added: “Does he not think that he and his government have a duty to protect this soldiers from such partisan parodies of justice in their declining years?”
Starmer said: “On that particular case, I just haven’t seen the details, I’m afraid, so I can’t comment on that.
“On the broader point, it’s right that we should protect those who serve our country, wherever they serve our country.”
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