SAS soldiers resign over war crime ‘witch hunts’
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Several sources have claimed that soldiers from 22 SAS, the Army’s most elite fighting force, have applied for premature voluntary release.
The Telegraph is withholding the exact figure for security reasons, but at least two squadrons, D and G, are believed to have been affected. Several SAS sources described the losses as significant and a “threat to national security”.
Insiders say the resignations have been driven by outrage over recent war crime investigations into Afghanistan and Syria, which have been described as “witch hunts”.
The treatment of elderly Northern Ireland veterans who served in the SAS has also contributed, insiders say. They are viewed as having been hounded through the courts on vexatious claims, some of which have been described as “ludicrous” by a judge.
Among those understood to have resigned are several senior warrant officers, who are the backbone of the special forces and among the most experienced troops in the regiment. A number are understood to have applied for release “on principle” just before Christmas.
“Morale is s--- at the moment,” one insider with knowledge of the recent losses said