The aerial strikes reportedly were in response to last week’s Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attack on Pakistani armymen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mir Ali region…reports Asian Lite News
Tensions simmered in the South Asian neighbourhood as Pakistan on Monday launched airstrikes in the border regions of Afghanistan, reportedly killing at least eight civilians, including three children.
Confirming the aerial strikes in the Khost and Paktika provinces, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that “such incidents can have very bad consequences which will be out of Pakistan’s control”.
According to TOLO News, the Taliban said they have responded to these attacks and targeted Pakistani military centres with heavy weapons.
Mujahid said the bombardment began at around 3 a.m. (local time) and targeted the houses of civilians in the Barmal district of Paktika province and the Afghan Dubai area of Sepera district in Khost province.
Calling the “reckless action” a violation of Afghanistan’s territory, he said that “Pakistan should not blame Afghanistan for the lack of control, incompetence, and problems in its territory”.
The aerial strikes reportedly were in response to last week’s Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attack on Pakistani armymen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mir Ali region.
Seven soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Captain, were killed in the attack that was denounced by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Vowing retaliation, President Zardari said: “Pakistan has decided that whoever will enter our borders, homes or country and commit terror, we will respond to them strongly, regardless of who it is or from which country.”
Meanwhile, as several media outlets in Pakistan reported that TTP commander Abdullah Shah was killed in the Pakistani airstrikes, Mujahid said in the statement: “The person named Abdullah Shah, who the Pakistani side claims was targeted in the incident, is in Pakistan.”
This came even as a video went viral on X showing a man, identifying himself as Shah, saying: “Whatever propaganda is being spread against me is baseless.”
The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, became active in 2007 and operates across the porous border with Afghanistan, even as the Taliban denies harbouring them.
The group has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in Pakistan, targeting both the military establishment and civilians.
The manner in which the PLA-GHQ Rawalpindi alliance sabotaged the US-led war against terror in Afghanistan has never been documented, at least in public, writes Prof. Madhav Das Nalapat
On 12 December 2000, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) handed the Presidency to George W. Bush, ignoring the numerous flaws in the vote counting process in Florida, a state where the Republican nominee’s brother Jeb was the Governor.
The 43rd President of the United States (POTUS) created history by emerging as the only US President elected not by the people but selected by the Supreme Court of the United States. Vice-President Dick Cheney by his side, George W. Bush initiated a necessary war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, winning it together with the Northern Alliance.
After that triumph, error after error was made by US policymakers in that unfortunate country, which culminated in the US surrender to the Taliban in 2021. This was through President Biden operationalizing the surrender document approved by President Trump in 2020. What has thus far gone unmentioned by multiple accounts of the 2001-21 Afghanistan war is the role played by elements who were citizens of the PRC, as well aspects of the role played by GHQ Rawalpindi.
It is a matter of worry for countries that have de facto or de jure security alliances with the US that its numerous intelligence agencies seem to have several blind spots about the CCP. In Afghanistan, among the “active methods” used against US forces in particular was for nationals of the PRC, to not just infiltrate women and young men into brothels and bars, but also to financially control several such establishments.
Many of the ladies and youths who gave Coalition troops hours of happy escape from the war reported their interactions with such soldiers to conveyors of intelligence to agencies in the PRC. As a consequence of drunken stupors and drug-induced loquacity, several bits of actionable intelligence were gleaned by the faraway controllers of the bars, brothels and bedrooms frequented even by senior officers and officials from the US and from other coalition partners.
Useful intel was transmitted to the Taliban, usually through contacts linked to the Pakistan military, to ensure that the extremist militia kept a step ahead of the Coalition. A consequence of such actions was that by 2006, drug addiction had become ubiquitous among US servicemen in particular, leading several to mow down innocent civilians in the belief that they were “hostiles”.
More generally, elements who in actuality opposed the Taliban were labelled as Taliban sympathisers by GHQ Rawalpindi with the consequence that the Taliban secured the advantage of having their most capable Afghan opponents in the field of battle eliminated by Coalition forces acting on the basis of tainted intel supplied to them. An army that had sworn to support the war against the Taliban in actuality went about doing the opposite.
As for the PRC nationals who were in the “Happy Hours” trade in Afghanistan, information about combat operations and deployments gleaned by sex workers in such establishments was passed on via Pakistan army contacts to Taliban elements, so much so that by 2009, the tide of battle had changed in favour of the Taliban in more than two-thirds of Afghanistan. This was despite the fact that the majority of the Afghan population, not just Tajiks and Hazara but many Pashtuns as well, were opposed to a return of the Taliban.
The manner in which the PLA-GHQ Rawalpindi alliance sabotaged the US-led war against terror in Afghanistan has never been documented, at least in public. Such a conclusion would have gone against the triumphalist narrative that characterised the George W. Bush years. Routing the Taliban during 2001-3 was laudable, but what happened afterwards was criminal.
Such a folly was capped by the manner and scope of President Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, an act that is certain to make the country once again a breeding ground for extremism and terror. Few countries would now trust the US as a security partner after such a withdrawal, at least as long as Joe Biden is President.
Despite some erroneous past decisions, the US Supreme Court redeemed itself on March 4 by unanimously striking down efforts by the Department of Justice to influence the forthcoming Presidential poll. This is being sought to be accomplished by ensnaring Donald Trump in a medley of cases, and seeking to send him to prison well before November 5, the date of the election.
Were the Department of Justice to succeed in sending Trump to prison months or even weeks before the US Presidential polls, the 46th POTUS would be elected the 47th POTUS in a landslide. US voters respect fair play, and the present administration’s Operation Imprison Trump resembles events that have just played out in Pakistan, where Imran Khan, the actual winner of the popular vote, is in jail and an individual known for his deference to GHQ Rawalpindi has been anointed as the Prime Minister.
These columns have more than once pointed to Biden’s feverish prosecution of the Ukraine war as the single biggest factor behind his unpopularity, given the worldwide economic hardship the US-UK-EU war effort against Russia and its sanctions have had.
The Ukraine war that intensified in 2022 may mark the end of the Atlantic Alliance as the primary force in global geopolitics, and the emergence of India, Brazil and Indonesia as the troika to watch. Those Democratic Party functionaries in charge of some states in the US such as Colorado sought to block Trump from the Presidential ballot on the fictitious charge of having led an insurrection on January 6, 2021.
The US Supreme Court has ruled that it ought to be the US Congress rather than individual states that ought to have the final say on eligibility, and given that the Presidency is a national and not a state position, such a ruling makes complete sense. In these columns, almost at the start of his term in the White House, it had been suggested that Joe Biden declare that he would only serve a single term. Had he done so, the historical record for the Biden years would be very different from what it is shaping up to be.
The head of the UN Deputy Mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban to abolish the restrictions placed on women…reports Asian Lite News
he Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the UN Deputy Mission in Afghanistan, Roza Otenbayeva, has once again drawn attention to the growing risk that prohibitions on women would drive Afghanistan even deeper into poverty and isolation, according to Khaama Press.
The head of the UN Deputy Mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban to abolish the restrictions placed on women and girls as the world observes International Women’s Solidarity Day on March 8.
Otenbayeva regrets seeing in Afghanistan a “disastrous negative investment” rather than investing in women, which causes serious harm to women and girls and impedes peace and prosperity, according to a statement released by UNAMA.
In its statement, UNAMA also highlighted Afghan women’s appeal for international solidarity in their advocacy, guarantees women’s active involvement and representation in all talks about Afghanistan’s future, and uphold foreign aid that specifically benefits women, reported Khaama Press.
In addition to these pressing appeals, Afghanistan is experiencing severe humanitarian problems that are made worse by political unrest and violence, which increases the vulnerability of women and girls.
The dire need for swift action to alleviate the situation of women and girls–who are disproportionately impacted by the conflict and socioeconomic limitations–is highlighted by the global leaders.
In order to ensure that women actively participate in defining the future of their country and contribute to peace and prosperity for all, it is crucial that coordinated efforts be made to remove obstacles, promote inclusivity, and support women’s rights in Afghanistan as the international world rallies support for their rights.
Notably, many governments across the world have denounced the Taliban’s full-scale attack on the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Despite the Taliban’s initial promise to take a moderate approach towards women’s rights after it seized power in August 2021, the ban on higher education is just one of many steps that the armed group has taken to further segregate the country and limit women’s role in society.
In the immediate aftermath of August 2021, the Taliban banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade and imposed strict rules requiring women to wear hijabs and to travel only with a male chaperone. (ANI)
The UK government argued he had not worked closely enough with the UK in Afghanistan to qualify for relocation. A UK government spokesperson says officials are “considering” the ruling…reports Asian Lite News
An Afghan judge who has been forced to go into hiding from the Taliban was wrongly refused relocation to the UK, the High Court has ruled.
The anonymous claimant prosecuted Taliban and Islamic State group members, and has since avoided an assassination attempt, the court heard.
The UK government argued he had not worked closely enough with the UK in Afghanistan to qualify for relocation. A UK government spokesperson says officials are “considering” the ruling.
The Afghan judge is currently in hiding in an unspecified third country with his wife and children, two of whom are in poor health, it emerged in court.
He lives with the constant “risk that they may be forcibly returned to Afghanistan”, according to a ruling in his favour. Zoe Cooley, the claimant’s solicitor, said the government had a “moral, as well as a legal, responsibility to bring our client and his family to safety”.
The ruling does not automatically qualify him for relocation but does mean the government must now reassess his application in light of the court’s findings.
Cooley called on the UK government to act “very swiftly” to bring the judge and his family to the UK before it was “too late”. The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme was set up to offer people who worked for or with the UK government in Afghanistan a path to move to the UK.
It is aimed at those who could be exposed to retribution by the Taliban, which re-seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, due to their association with international forces involved in the invasion.
The Afghan judge who brought the High Court case first applied to ARAP in August 2021 but was rejected in March 2022 – a decision upheld by an appeals panel in May 2023.
The government officials responsible for reviewing the application effectively ruled that he did not directly work for or with the UK government and was therefore not eligible. Now High Court judge Justice Julian Knowles has ruled that decision was “irrational” and based on “plainly faulty” reasoning as the Afghan judge’s activities “personally and directly” had helped to further the UK’s goals in Afghanistan.
The High Court heard the judge asked for help to leave Afghanistan during the August 2021 evacuation but “did not receive a reply” and was left in the country. He served as a senior judge for six years in an area which saw some of the heaviest fighting and counter-insurgency during the Afghanistan war.
The court heard he oversaw cases involving murder, violence against women, terrorism, kidnapping, drug smuggling and corruption. The perpetrators were often members of the Taliban and the Daesh group.
When the Taliban had surrounded his home city in 2021 during its rapid campaign to seize control of Afghanistan, the judge had to be “air-lifted out of the region by military aircraft” for his safety, the High Court was told.
Justice Knowles accepted the claimant’s evidence that the Taliban had had informants on the court’s staff during his time as a judge – some of whom now hold high-ranking positions in the government. Some of the people the judge sentenced in Afghanistan have since “obtained high positions in the present Taliban regime”. The judge was involved in cases where suspects were apprehended after operations based on intelligence provided by “international forces” operating in Afghanistan.
This followed an Afghan delegation’s visit to Iran, highlighting the growing economic cooperation between the two countries….reports Asian Lite News
The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has pledged a $35 million investment in Iran’s Chabahar port, signalling a strategic shift towards diversifying trade partnerships.
Iranian Special Envoy to Kabul, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, revealed this commitment, emphasising Afghanistan’s intention to broaden economic ties, the Khaama Press reported.
This announcement followed a visit by an Afghan delegation to Iran, underlining the strengthening economic collaboration between the two nations.
Notably, the investment focuses on the Fakher construction project within the Chabahar Special Economic Zone, envisioning a 25-story residential complex. This initiative aims to bolster Afghanistan’s access to global waters and enhance its trading capabilities.
According to the Khaama Press reports, the interaction between Afghanistan and Iran occurs amidst tense relations between the two nations, stemming not only from border disputes and water rights issues but also from strained ties with neighbouring Pakistan.
The port of Chabahar is located outside the Persian Gulf and therefore, is relatively free from the turbulent geopolitics of the Gulf. However, the presence at Chabahar will be useful to monitor the strategic developments in the Persian Gulf as well as in the Gulf of Oman.
Chabahar’s location along the Makran coast, near the port of Gwadar developed by China in Pakistan, is significant. Gwadar is long seen as the likely site of the second Chinese military base in the Indian Ocean. Therefore, India’s presence at Chabahar matters from the point of view of maritime as well as continental strategy. With the intensifying turbulence in Pakistan and the instability in Balochistan, the importance of Chabahar has gone up significantly.
The statement recognised Yaqoobi for her unwavering commitment to supporting visually impaired individuals in Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News
In a recent announcement, the US Department of State revealed that Benafsha Yaqoobi from Afghanistan is among the distinguished recipients of the 2024 Women of Courage Award, Khaama Press reported.
The statement recognised Yaqoobi for her unwavering commitment to supporting visually impaired individuals in Afghanistan.
The commendation extended to Yaqoobi highlighted her extensive work as a defence lawyer, specifically advocating for women survivors of violence. Together with her husband, she co-founded the “Rahyab Organisation” in 2008, focusing on the education and empowerment of visually impaired individuals in the region, according to Khaama Press.
Notably, Yaqoobi herself is visually impaired, and the US State Department acknowledged her tireless efforts in advocating for the rights of disabled citizens in Afghanistan. The Women of Courage Award, an annual honour, is bestowed upon women who have demonstrated exceptional contributions in peace, justice, courage, leadership, human rights, and gender equality.
While currently residing outside of Afghanistan, Yaqoobi is set to receive the prestigious award on March 4th. Afghanistan, having acceded to the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2012, is committed to providing essential support, including healthcare and education, for visually impaired individuals.
Amidst these commendations, Yazdani Parast, a blind journalist, conveyed concerns to Khaama Press about diminishing attention from supporting organisations for visually impaired individuals in Afghanistan. Parast emphasised the urgent need for assistance, especially during the cold winter season and the upcoming month of Ramadan.
Though precise data on the current number of visually impaired individuals in Afghanistan is unavailable, UN estimates from 2016 indicated that their numbers exceeded 400,000, with 1.5 million individuals experiencing visual impairments, Khaama Press reported. (ANI)
The ministry of education has culled up to 700 ‘ghost schools’ from official lists since the government took power more than two years ago…reports Asian Lite News
The Afghan caretaker government’s ministry of education has identified and annulled 700 “ghost schools” across the country, the spokesman for the ministry Mansour Ahmad Hamza said.
“The ministry of education has culled up to 700 ‘ghost schools’ from official lists since the government took power more than two years ago,” the local Television channel Tolonews quoted the official on Monday as saying
Xinhua news agency reported that during the previous U.S.-backed regime in Afghanistan, “ghost” schools, teachers, students, soldiers and police personnel existed as a pretext to enable those at the helm to earn money illegally from the foreign donors.
Based on the information of the ministry of education, over 18,000 primary, secondary and high schools are operating in Afghanistan where 260,000 teachers are currently working, the report added.
Recently, the Taliban had allowed girls graduating from 12th grade to get admission to state-owned medical institutes, the media reported.
“The enrolment of girls who graduated from 12th grade has started in state-run medical institutes in Kapisa, Parwan, Panjshir, Wardak, Ghazni, Paktika, Logar, Khost, Badakhshan, Paktia and Bamyan provinces,” the state-run Bakhtar news agency reported on Tuesday without giving further details.
Since the Afghan caretaker government took over power following the withdrawal of US-led forces in August 2021, girls from 7th grade and above cannot attend classes until further notice, Xinhua news agency reported.
Consensus over key issues
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that international representatives have reached consensus on some key issues concerning Afghanistan after a two-day meeting in Doha, but obstacles remain.
“We want an Afghanistan in peace, peace with itself and peace with its neighbours and able to assume the commitments and the international obligations of a sovereign state,” Guterres said on Monday at a press conference after the meeting.
However, Guterres pointed out that overcoming some obstacles is still necessary to break the deadlock on the Afghanistan issue, Xinhua nedws agency reported.
On the one hand, “Afghanistan remains with a government that is not recognised internationally and in many aspects not integrated into the global institutions and global economy,” he added.
On the other hand, there is a common international perception of deteriorating human rights, particularly for women and girls in the country, Guterres said.
The UN Chief added that a common roadmap must be developed to address the concerns of the international community and the Afghan authorities.
The meeting, chaired by Guterres, was attended by representatives from more than 20 countries and international organisations, including China, Russia, and the US. Taliban, the de-facto authorities in Afghanistan, did not attend.
According to the UN Chief, the conditions set by Taliban authorities to attend the meeting were “not acceptable”.
“These conditions first of all denied us the right to talk to other representatives of the Afghan society and demanded a treatment that would, to a large extent, be similar to recognition,” Guterres said.
There are around 1.7 million Afghan refugees who are being forced by the Pakistan establishment to leave Pakistan….reports Asian Lite News
The Afghan Cultural Association in Austria (AKIS) and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) organized a session on Tuesday in Vienna, Austria, over the forceful expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and its implications for Europe. The said session was attended by around 30-35 SPO party members, including senior members such as Gerhard Spitzer, SPO Party Secretary of the 21st District of Vienna, Bernhard Herzog, District Councilor of SPO and Jurgen Bozsoki, Head of the SPO office in 10th District.
Ghousuddin Mir, the President of the Afghan Cultural Association in Austria, was the main speaker during the session. During his speech, Mir elaborated on the implications that Europe might face shortly because of the forceful expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. He also presented on the human rights violations of Pakistan against Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Elaborating on the same issue, he mentioned that, as per the UNHCR report, Pakistan hosts around 2.8 million Afghan refugees, out of which 1.5 million Afghans are estimated to be living in Pakistan without any documentation, including some 600,000 who arrived in the country following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.
Evidently, in October 2023, the Pakistani government ordered a sudden crackdown on Afghan refugees and migrants who have been living without any documentation. There are around 1.7 million Afghan refugees who are being forced by the Pakistan establishment to leave Pakistan. More than 60% of these Afghan refugees have been residing in Pakistan for more than 15 years, the same press statement claimed.
Furthermore, most of these Afghan refugees are not willing to go back to Afghanistan and would make efforts to use the regular migratory route to reach Europe. This refugee situation created by Pakistan would have an impact on Europe, the statement said.
Additionally, Pakistan has traditionally been the first migratory stop for Afghans leaving Afghanistan. Most of the Afghans had made Pakistan their home and have been staying there with their children for years. However, this scenario would change because of this indiscriminate and unwanted action by Pakistan. In the coming years, more Afghan refugees would move towards Europe, possibly en-masse in batches. This would put pressure on the migratory systems in Europe. Austria being the gateway to Europe could receive more Afghan refugees on this front.
The statement further stated that this sudden action by Pakistan is neither required nor a solution for the terror threat faced by them. Most of these Afghans have been residing in Pakistan for a very long time and have never been a threat to the country. The reasons for the recent spurt in terror attacks across Pakistan are not because of these Afghan refugees. It is due to the actions of the Pakistan Army vis-a-vis the terror organisations such as Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan. Pakistan’s Army has provided space for these terror organisations to grow and are now finding it difficult to control them. They have shifted the blame on poor Afghan refugees for political reasons to hide their inability.
The statement also implicated that, the international community must raise their concerns with Pakistan and ensure that the Afghan refugees are treated by the International Human Rights law and that any action by Pakistan complies with these international instruments.
Many SPO members also raised questions on the present status of this issue and discussed on role of the party in addressing the rights of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and to reduce the negative fallout of such issues on Europe. (ANI)
Earlier this month, the World Bank in a report said that Afghanistan’s struggling economy has led to deflation and poverty, Khaama Press reported. This deflationary trend persisted from April 2023 to December 2023…reports Asian Lite News
The World Health Organization has announced that more than 286,000 people have been afflicted with respiratory illness in Afghanistan since the beginning of January 2024. Among those, 668 people have lost their lives, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.
On February 24, the WHO reported hundreds of deaths and infections due to respiratory illness in Afghanistan, coinciding with the onset of winter, according to the report.
According to the World Health Organization, the rise in the number of people afflicted with respiratory issues is due to cold weather conditions, particularly affecting children, according to the Khaama Press report.
According to a WHO report, more than 63 per cent of the patients are children aged below five years, with nearly 50 per cent of them being women.
Previously, the World Health Organization stated that the average recorded statistics of respiratory illnesses in Afghanistan have increased in comparison to the same period from 2020 to 2022.
With the arrival of the cold season and increased air pollution, concerns over the spread of respiratory illnesses in Afghanistan have intensified. Previously, thousands of people died due to acute respiratory illnesses in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
Amidst the increased deportation of Afghan refugees from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, more than half a million people are returning home and face dire conditions like lacking food, shelter, water, and job opportunities.
Earlier this month, the World Bank in a report said that Afghanistan’s struggling economy has led to deflation and poverty, Khaama Press reported. This deflationary trend persisted from April 2023 to December 2023.
According to the report, Afghanistan has been facing economic challenges due to reduced aggregate demand, including factors like the stronger local currency, dwindling household savings, reduced public spending, and the ban on opium cultivation causing farmers to lose income.
Afghanistan has witnessed a significant decrease in headline inflation, with a negative 9.7 per cent year-on-year rate in December 2023. Food inflation reduced to negative 14.5 per cent and non-food inflation dropped to negative 4.2 per cent, reflecting weak demand. Core inflation, excluding food and energy prices, also reduced to a negative 6.0 per cent year-on-year.
These economic struggles have increased unemployment and pushed half of the population into poverty, with 15 million people facing food insecurity. Coal exports dropped by 46 per cent in 2023 to USD 257 million.
Furthermore, food exports witnessed a rise of 13 per cent, reaching USD 1.3 billion. Textile exports increased by 46 per cent in 2023 and reached USD 281 million, with Pakistan and India remaining primary export destinations. Imports in Afghanistan increased by 23 per cent in 2023 and reached USD 7.8 billion, with food, minerals, and textiles making up a major portion. (ANI)
During his first day of testimony to the inquiry, on Tuesday, Mercer refused to reveal the names of SAS members who gave him first- and second-hand accounts of incidents in Afghanistan…reports Asian Lite News
The British minister for veterans, John Mercer, spoke on Wednesday of “horrific” stories he heard from former members of the Afghan special forces about alleged executions of unarmed detainees, including children, carried out by members of the UK’s elite Special Air Service.
He was speaking during his second day of testimony at a public inquiry set up to investigate accusations made in media reports that SAS members killed civilians and unarmed prisoners during operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
In 2022, a BBC investigation alleged that an SAS squadron was involved in questionable killings of at least 54 people, including detainees and children, in a six-month period.
Mercer, himself a former army officer, told the inquiry that discussions he had with former members of Afghan special forces known as the Triples “confirmed my worst fears.”
When asked by the chair of the inquiry whether he was talking about “allegations of straight murder” by members of the SAS, he replied: “Yes.”
He said the accounts given to him included allegations that the SAS executed detainees, including children, who were restrained and posed no threat. There is “no reason why a person under control should lose their life,” he added.
Mercer said that the Triples units, concerned about injuries suffered by children in particular, eventually refused to accompany the British forces on missions. When “Tier 1 Afghan special forces are refusing to go out the door with you,” this should have raised concerns, he said.
If the allegations presented to him are true, the members of the SAS responsible for the actions they described are “criminals,” he said.
Mercer also expressed frustration with the Ministry of Defence for not adequately investigating the allegations, and accused ministry officials of misleading him about the availability of evidence, specifically full-motion video footage from the operations in question.
He said that when he challenged the head of UK Special Forces, Gen. Sir Roland Walker, about this apparent lack of footage, he simply leaned back in his chair and shrugged.
“I don’t disguise the fact that I am angry with these people,” Mercer said. “The fact that I’m sitting here today is because those people, with their rank and privileges, have not done their job.”
During his first day of testimony to the inquiry, on Tuesday, Mercer refused to reveal the names of SAS members who gave him first- and second-hand accounts of incidents in Afghanistan.
Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, who is chairing the inquiry, on Wednesday described the minister’s refusal to reveal the identities as “completely unacceptable,” the BBC reported.
“You need to decide which side you are really on,” Mr. Mercer,” he said. “Is it assisting the inquiry fully, and the public interest and the national interest, in getting to the truth of these allegations quickly, for everyone’s sake? Or is it being part of what is in effect an ‘omerta,’ a wall of silence?”
He warned Mercer that continued refusal to comply with the inquiry’s requests would result in “potentially serious legal consequences that I may need to put in place.”
If Mercer continues to refuse to provide the names, the inquiry has the legal authority to compel him to do so. In February, BBC current affairs program Panorama reported that UK Special Forces blocked members of Afghan special forces from relocating to the UK after the Taliban reclaimed power in the country in 2021.
Former members of the SAS told Panorama that this veto created a clear conflict of interest because Afghan personnel might be called as witnesses by the public inquiry.