The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is under mounting pressure following revelations that thousands of Afghan commandos closely linked to British Special Forces were denied UK resettlement – potentially to suppress witness testimonies in an ongoing war crimes inquiry.
Known as the “Triples”, the elite Afghan units CF 333 and ATF 444 were recruited, trained and funded by UK Special Forces (UKSF) to support the SAS and SBS in Afghanistan.
After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, many of these commandos were left in imminent danger, yet over 2,000 resettlement applications judged credible by caseworkers were reportedly blocked.
The controversy deepened amid claims that the UKSF had been granted a secret veto over these applications – a veto that critics say silenced potential witnesses to alleged extrajudicial killings committed by British forces during the Afghan conflict.
The UK inquiry into those allegations cannot compel testimony from foreign nationals who remain overseas, raising concerns of a conflict of interest.
Internal Ministry of Defence documents, made public as part of a judicial review, show that senior officials raised concerns as early as October 2022.
Natalie Moore, then-head of the Afghan resettlement team, stated in a witness submission that she feared a de facto policy of “automatic rejections” was being implemented by UKSF operatives.
Former Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer also flagged “a significant conflict of interest” in January 2024, after the BBC revealed the existence of the UKSF veto.
Mercer cited credible reports of at least five Triples being executed by the Taliban following their rejected applications. One case involved a former commando who had directly challenged UKSF leadership over alleged war crimes.
Despite these red flags, the MoD denied any UKSF veto in statements to both Parliament and the media.
A later investigation, dubbed “Operation X”, concluded there was no deliberate suppression, attributing the mass rejections to poor verification procedures. However, the probe offered no concrete evidence to support its findings.
More than 600 of the rejected applications have since been overturned, and a broader review was launched to assess up to 2,500 additional cases. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard confirmed the review’s expansion this week.
Legal representatives for the former commandos accuse the MoD of withholding vital information from the courts.
Tom de la Mare KC alleged a breach of candour, arguing the government had misled the judiciary over the extent of the rejection policy.
MoD counsel Cathryn McGahey KC admitted to inaccuracies in prior court disclosures, apologising and acknowledging that “a better process might have been possible,” but insisted the review itself was lawful.
Daniel Carey, the solicitor representing the former Triples, said his client had witnessed friends and colleagues tortured or killed while awaiting justice. “It should never have taken legal action to compel the government to deliver basic fairness,” he added.
