-Caveat Lector- --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], Barry Stoller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Guardian. 15 December 2001. SAS role in fort deaths questioned. Amnesty International yesterday renewed its call for an inquiry into the shooting of hundreds of prisoners in northern Afghanistan after unprecedented video footage showed British SAS troops fighting alongside anti-Taliban forces at the time. Footage showing soldiers not in uniform and with unmistakable British accents at the Qala-i-Janghi fortress, near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, was broadcast by Channel 4 News. It showed the soldiers firing a machine gun at targets from the walls of the fortress. One SAS soldier took aim with a sniper rifle after a Northern Alliance fighter pointed to a target. A man shouted "FAC [forward air control] complete" in a clear British accent and gave a thumbs up. Amnesty yesterday described the video - taken by an Afghan cameraman - as alarming and said it strengthened the case for an urgent inquiry into what happened at the fort. "By blocking an inquiry the UK government and others are adding to a suspicion that something seriously untoward took place," an Amnesty spokesman said. "A proper investigation could clear the air and potentially offer useful lessons on the question of how best to hold and transport prisoners in Afghanistan and also how best to safeguard the lives of both prisoners and prison guard," he added. The targets could not be seen on the film though the faces of some of the SAS soldiers were clearly in view. The decision not to obscure their faces triggered an angry response from the Ministry of Defence. One MoD official said the ministry was "very, very unhappy with Channel Four" for not obscuring the faces of the SAS soldiers. Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, has confirmed only that "British troops" were operating in Afghanistan and that their tasks included "liaison" with the Northern Alliance. An MoD spokesmen yesterday refused to comment on the video - taken on November 25 - or even to admit the presence of SAS troops engaged in any operations anywhere in Afghanistan. But military sources said that the footage "spoke for itself." According to guidelines under the D notice system - a system of voluntary media self-censorship - anything that helps to identify members of the special forces endangers their personal security. Exactly why and how the prisoners' rebellion at the fortress started and was put down has never been explained by the US or Britain. Hundreds of Taliban fighters are estimated to have been killed. One CIA agent also died in the fighting. US special forces are shown in the video using a satellite phone which they used to direct helicopters and aircraft on to targets. The MoD insists that British forces in the vicinity of the fort near Mazar operated according to international law and followed their own rules of engagement. Mr Hoon has said that Britain told Northern Alliance commanders that it expected them to respect the rights of prisoners according to "applicable international standards." Shortly after the events at the fort, he told MPs: "After Taliban fighters held at Qala-i-Janghi fort overpowered their captors and seized the armoury, British troops went to the aid of their US colleagues and attempted to recover, under heavy fire, two US personnel apparently captured by the Taliban fighters." But he has declined to answer questions tabled by the Labour MP, George Galloway, and the Labour-turned-Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Marsden, about which UK forces participated in the military action at the fort, and about their activities in Afghanistan. More than 150 SAS soldiers - nearly three-quarters of the entire regiment - are operating in Afghanistan, according to military sources. --- End forwarded message --- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
