Top UK General Oversaw Blocking Afghan War Crime Witnesses
A BBC Panorama investigation has revealed that **General Sir Gwyn Jenkins**, former head of UK Special Forces (UKSF), oversaw the rejection of hundreds of UK resettlement applications from Afghan commandos—despite knowing of their credible service and the dangers they faced under Taliban rule. These rejections came at a critical time when an official UK public inquiry was investigating alleged war crimes committed by the Special Air Service (SAS) in Afghanistan—on missions where these Afghan soldiers, known as the *Triples*, were present.
Sir Gwyn, who served as UKSF commander in Afghanistan, is accused of not reporting evidence of extrajudicial killings by British forces during his tenure. After his return to the UK, he played a major role in appointing a Special Forces officer—who also served in Afghanistan—to vet and ultimately reject the Triples’ applications. This controversial decision gave UKSF an informal **veto power** over who among the Afghan Special Forces could be resettled in Britain under the ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) scheme.
Thousands of Afghan commandos—trained, equipped, and deployed by British forces—were left behind. Many were later **killed, tortured, or imprisoned** by the Taliban. The BBC reports that civil service caseworkers were pressured to deny applications, even when applicants provided compelling proof of their service, including photographs alongside Gen Jenkins himself.
According to a senior government insider:
“The UK Special Forces officer would never have acted without direction… everything went through Gwyn Jenkins.”
Legal experts and military insiders have condemned the move. **Bruce Houlder KC**, former director of service prosecutions, said the government had a duty to relocate witnesses who held potentially vital testimony.
“If the motive behind rejecting them is to prevent evidence from surfacing, it’s both disreputable and unjustifiable.”
By 2021–2022, Jenkins had become **head of all UK Special Forces**. He now serves as the **chief strategic adviser to Defence Secretary John Healey** and is in line for promotion to **First Sea Lord**—the professional head of the Royal Navy.
Meanwhile, the Afghan public inquiry continues gathering evidence about **SAS-led operations** in which dozens of detainees and unarmed civilians were allegedly killed. If the Triples were allowed into the UK, they could serve as **key witnesses**, but the inquiry has no authority to compel testimony from foreign nationals abroad.
Former Afghan commander **Jumakhan Joya** believes their exclusion is deliberate.
“Some of the Triples have been killed, some jailed. This is not a mistake. They want to keep our voices silent.”
**Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer** echoed those concerns in a 2024 letter, calling UKSF’s role in the resettlement process a **“serious conflict of interest”**. He warned that the ongoing Afghan Inquiry might expose the government’s actions and lead to accountability at the highest levels.
Despite the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) public statement claiming no effort to suppress witness testimonies, internal emails tell a different story. Hundreds of those rejected have now had their applications overturned following a government review—but for many, it was too late.
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