BBC accused of endangering British troops after questions about executions in SAS documentary

The Ministry of Defense has BBC has endangered troops ‘in the field and reputation’, after the new documentary ‘death squads’ about the SAS in Afghanistan†

The one-hour Panorama show, to be released tomorrow, asks whether the troops have been executed Taliban suspects in custody and committed war crimes†

Some witnesses have claimed to have seen “unarmed Afghans being murdered in cold blood.”

Soldiers revealed they were aware of the practice that was allegedly “covered up” by commanders.

Last night there were mounting concerns that the shoot-to-kill tactics could no longer be denied, which remains the official position of the Department of Defense.

The Defense Ministry said tonight that the documentary “endangers our brave armed forces, both in the field and in reputation.”

Defense has always insisted that the suspicious deaths of Afghans captured by the elite forces were properly investigated.

But there are increasing indications that the SAS has hindered the investigation by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee.

One SAS soldier said the truth will “turn everything upside down.” Another admitted illegal killings were “part of our job.”

The BBC documentary to be broadcast tonight also alleges that the SAS repeatedly shot and killed detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances. Panorama will further allege that a former SAS commander, who later became a general, has not revealed crucial evidence for a murder investigation.

An pending lawsuit is also forcing defense officials to release previously unseen documents.

SAS members said they were effectively paralyzed by the Afghan justice system. Usually in 2010-2011 they had to observe an Afghan brandishing a weapon before they could open fire.

One soldier, who wished to remain anonymous, explained: ‘Illegal killings were part of our job and yes, the tactics were horrific. But arrest them [Taliban suspects] was pretty pointless as they would only be held for a few days before being released. So for me the end justifies the means.’

But other troops said they are struggling to justify deliberately shooting unnamed Afghans followed by placing a weapon next to their corpses.

The gun-dropping tactic was used to suggest that these individuals posed a threat at the time of their death.

Another said: ‘It came down to one or two loose guns’ [in the unit]†

SAS sources also suggested that residual guilt over these practices caused post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism among those who participated.

In March, a Supreme Court judge reprimanded the Defense Department for repeated delays in releasing documents.

Mr Justice Swift reprimanded government officials for not respecting timetables and suggested that the Defense Department had a ‘devil may care’ attitude towards cooperation with the justice system.

Last night, the Defense Department said it was open to considering “any new evidence” without impediment, despite officials insisting that previous independent investigations into allegations “had found insufficient evidence to prosecute.”