Former SAS chief blames state for breaking 'moral contract' with soldiers

A former commanding officer of the SAS has blamed the state for breaking the "moral contract" between the country and its most elite soldiers, citing a war crimes inquiry that has failed to reach conclusions four years after it was set up. The Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan was established in 2022 to investigate claims that UK Special Forces committed extrajudicial killings during night raids, and that a Royal Military Police probe into the allegations amounted to a cover-up. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Williams, former Commanding Officer of 22 SAS, told Sky News that soldiers accept what he called "the unlimited liability contract", the willingness to suffer injury or death to deliver what the state needs. He said a series of attempted prosecutions built up over the last 20 years had left trust between the country and its troops broken. "In all the operations I conducted, from Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans, Latin America and elsewhere, I always felt the state had my back," Lt Col Williams told Sky News. He said that watching operations directed, endorsed and bound by the state being dragged through the courts would make a young SAS officer today question whether the state could be trusted to support necessary actions in close-quarter combat. In an internal memo sent to members on Friday and seen by Sky News, the SAS Regimental Association warned that "the moral contract between the state and its soldiers has been weakened or even broken". The memo said members feared prolonged scrutiny and adverse publicity could deter volunteers or push experienced personnel to leave, and noted that members were already departing early because of the current activity against the Special Forces. "The risk to a highly specialised capability warrants serious attention," the memo read. "We do sense the mood of our members and the message on retention is a noticeably negative one." Lt Col Williams described the inquiry as a "persecuting agent for the state" and said those in charge should review how the probe is being conducted and "ask whether it is fit for purpose". He said: "Is it delivering what it's supposed to do? And is it delivering it in ways that is least damaging for the state actor and the relationship between soldiers and the state?" The former commanding officer, who left the army before the operation in Afghanistan, insisted he had never encountered any soldier breaking the rules. "We've done everything for the state, is the state now doing everything for us? It doesn't feel that way," he said. On 15 December, the inquiry, chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, will move into its fifth year. While many parts have been held in secret, around 30 days of open hearings have heard from witnesses including military whistleblowers, former civil servants and investigators. This week the inquiry was shown photographs of dead Afghan males who appeared to have been shot in the head while asleep. In September, the inquiry announced the disclosure of 97 million documents by the Ministry of Defence that had previously not been released, with observers warning the volume of material could delay or derail proceedings. Lawyers for the MoD said this week that more files could be disclosed on Friday 20 November, while Lord Justice Haddon-Cave said on Thursday that a deadline of 30 April next year to complete hearing all evidence "must be kept". An MoD spokesperson said: "Our personnel are respected worldwide for their professionalism and dedication, and they make extraordinary sacrifices in defence of the nation. Much of their work goes unseen and unsung, but that in no way diminishes the enormous pride we have in their service and the vital role they play in keeping our country safe."