UK Afghan War Crimes Inquiry May Be Delayed by Discovery of 97 Million Documents
Discovery of Documents and Its Impact on the Inquiry
Background of the Inquiry
LONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Britain's Ministry of Defence has found 97 million new documents, some of which could be relevant to a public inquiry into allegations that British special forces murdered people in Afghanistan, a letter published on Tuesday showed.
The inquiry, which had aimed to give at least an interim report within 18 months but after nearly four years is yet to produce any findings, could now be delayed further.
Details of the Document Discovery
MoD's Statement and Dataset Scope
The letter, which was written by MoD lawyers and published on the inquiry's website, said the ministry had told the inquiry this month that the new documents had been within a large dataset that the MoD expected would largely contain material beyond the scope of the inquiry.
Inquiry Chair's Response
The inquiry's chair, Charles Haddon-Cave, said in a statement: "The late appearance of this potentially relevant material is troubling and regrettable, and if not rapidly addressed and managed, has the capacity to delay the important work of this inquiry, which is now well advanced."
Origins and Focus of the Inquiry
Reason for Establishment
The inquiry was set up in 2023 after a BBC documentary reported soldiers from the elite Special Air Service had killed 54 people during the war in Afghanistan more than a decade ago in suspicious circumstances.
Upcoming Hearing and MoD's Position
Chair's Expectations
Haddon-Cave said there would be a hearing on Friday at which he would seek reassurances from the MoD that "any material of real relevance is quickly identified and disclosed" and that it would not happen again.
MoD's Comment
The MoD declined to comment before Friday's hearing.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin, Editing by William James and Timothy Heritage)
