'They Did It for Fun': Inquiry Hears How UK Special Forces Tormented Afghan Prisoners

A witness tells the Afghanistan Inquiry that British troops raised detainees on forklifts and slammed the brakes to hurl them off, in fresh testimony pointing to years of unchecked abuse

A British public inquiry has heard testimony that UK forces stationed in Afghanistan during the occupation years of 2010 to 2013 abused Afghan detainees “for fun.”

According to statements released on Tuesday, Monica Grenfell — a woman who has worked with UK Special Forces — gave evidence to the Afghanistan Inquiry describing how British servicemen mistreated prisoners during their deployments. Her account drew on conversations with a former member of the Special Forces, identified only as “Name3,” who had served in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Grenfell recalled him telling her that he would place prisoners on a forklift, raise it, and then drive at speed so that they fell off — behaviour he said he had repeated in Afghanistan. She described being appalled, saying it was not something he did alone but rather a form of amusement shared among the troops, who would raise the detainees and then jam on the brakes to throw them to the ground.

A pattern without oversight

Grenfell’s testimony also suggested that UK Special Forces had operated for years almost unchecked, without proper oversight from either the military command or the government.

The statements are the latest to emerge from an inquiry examining allegations of unlawful killings by UK Special Forces during operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013. Other whistleblowers have come forward to give evidence, among them Christopher Green, who served in the country in 2012.

Under mounting public pressure, the British government agreed to support the inquiry, which many believe will expose crimes committed during the US-led occupation of Afghanistan. Britain was a leading partner in the American-led campaigns that led to the occupation of Afghanistan, and later Iraq, during the 2010s.

Reference: PressTv