A public inquiry set up to examine allegations of war crimes by UK special forces has been hearing evidence that casts a harsh light on the conduct of some British troops during operations abroad. According to the account, the proceedings brought to the surface a series of disturbing claims that go to the heart of how detainees and suspects were treated, and how concerns raised from within the ranks were handled at the time.
One of the most striking claims concerned the treatment of prisoners. According to the evidence given to the inquiry, British troops dropped Afghan prisoners from forklifts for fun, an allegation that points to a culture in which detained people were treated with contempt rather than as individuals in the custody and care of the forces holding them.
The inquiry also heard about how internal warnings were received. According to the account, a soldier who raised concerns about a deadly raid was branded a Taliban-loving apologist, a description that suggests those who questioned what was happening risked being isolated or discredited rather than listened to, discouraging others from speaking out.
Among the gravest allegations were those involving the use of lethal force. According to the evidence, people were shot during night raids, part of a pattern of operations carried out under cover of darkness that the inquiry is now scrutinising in detail to establish exactly what happened and whether the killings were justified.
A further claim went to the question of how those deaths were then presented. According to the account, weapons were planted on individuals after they had been bound, handcuffed, shot and killed, an allegation that, if borne out, would point to a deliberate effort to make unlawful killings appear to have been justified confrontations.
The inquiry is not only weighing the alleged acts themselves but also what happened afterwards. According to the account, it is additionally examining allegations of a cover-up surrounding the operations, an area that could prove as significant as the underlying incidents in determining how far knowledge of the conduct extended and who, if anyone, sought to conceal it.
For its part, the government has urged patience while the process runs its course. According to the account, the Ministry of Defence has said it is right to allow the inquiry to complete its important work before responding in full, leaving the broader questions of responsibility and accountability to be resolved as the proceedings continue and the evidence is tested.