The Guardian quoted a report by the charity group Action Against Armed Violence (AOAV) saying that British special forces, including the Special Air Service (SAS) and several other units, have been operating secretly in many conflict hotspots around the world, and these activities have never been mentioned by the British government or the British military.
According to AOAV, the data they collected was taken from 2011 to the present. Special forces units received requests from the British Prime Minister and the British Secretary of Defense over the years and were continuously deployed to high-risk areas around the world, while these countries had no military conflicts with London.
AOAV said British special forces have been active in Syria since 2012, helping rebel groups fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The unit even took part in British air strikes in 2013.
Britain has secretly deployed its special forces to 19 countries over the past 10 years. (Photo: Time)
However, British special forces also suffered losses while operating in Syria when a number of SAS members were killed in field operations.
The Guardian , citing leaked Pentagon documents, reported that as of early this year, Britain was deploying 50 special forces in Ukraine, despite London's repeated statements that it was not involved in the conflict.
The AOAV report added that the British government knew about the operations of special forces abroad but lacked oversight. By law, British lawmakers must vote in favor of London's participation in the war before special forces can be deployed. However, the Prime Minister still has the power to deploy special forces without parliamentary approval.
In June 2015, shortly after 38 people – including 30 Britons – were murdered by terrorists at a beachside hotel in Tunisia, it was reported that the SAS had been given “full authority” by former British Prime Minister David Cameron to capture or kill leaders of Islamist terrorist organisations in the Middle East.
“The widespread deployment of British Special Forces in many countries over the past decade has raised serious concerns about transparency and democratic oversight. The lack of parliamentary approval and full evaluation of these missions is deeply troubling,” said Iain Overton, CEO of AOAV.
However, in March 2023, a public inquiry was launched into allegations that the SAS was responsible for 54 civilian killings in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011, often during night raids. Afghans were separated from their families and murdered on the spot on the pretext of producing and supporting insurgents.
Countries where British special forces have been deployed over the past 10 years. (Photo: Guardian)
At the time, Tory MP Ben Wallace, now the UK defence secretary, praised the military effort involved. However, the UK Ministry of Defence said the operation involved members of the paratroopers, marines and the RAF but made no mention of special forces.
British special forces are also regularly involved in hostage rescues, most notably when a naval commando (SBS) team tried and failed to rescue a Briton and an Italian held by an Islamist group in Nigeria in 2012. Another case was in 2019 when they rescued a British couple held in the Philippines.
The only British special forces deployment in Russia to be mentioned in the media since 2014 was when SAS members were “on hand” to provide security for British athletes at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The full list of other countries the UK has deployed special forces to includes Algeria, Estonia, France, Oman, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Cyprus, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen.
The UK Ministry of Defense has yet to comment on AOAV's report.
Tra Khanh (Source: The Guardian)
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