Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK special forces carried out secret operations in 11 Arab, Muslim countries in last 12 years: report

UK special forces carried out secret operations in 11 Arab, Muslim countries in last 12 years: report

UK special forces have carried out secret operations in 19 countries — including eight Arab and three Muslim ones — over the past 12 years, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.
Based on media leaks, a report by research group Action on Armed Violence lists a range of countries that Britain has sent elite units to since 2011. Operations included hostage rescues, exfiltration, training and protection.

In the Arab world, units were sent to Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Oman, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Units were also sent to Muslim-majority countries Afghanistan, Pakistan and Mali.

The Syrian government was a notable target, with units being sent to the country in 2013 to identify possible locations for bombing ahead of a planned aerial campaign that was voted against in the British Parliament.

AOAV said the high-risk missions worldwide were directly ordered by the prime minister or defense secretary, and were kept highly secret.

The report questioned the level of oversight given to the operations. Though acts of war must be approved by the UK Parliament, small-scale special forces operations can be carried out without MPs’ knowledge and are not subject to committee investigations.

In 2015, the SAS had reportedly been given autonomy by then-Prime Minister David Cameron to capture and kill Islamist leaders in the Middle East in the wake of a terror attack in Tunisia that killed 30 Britons in a hotel.

Earlier this year, UK special forces were the subject of scrutiny after a public inquiry found that units had carried out more than 50 summary executions of alleged Taliban members in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011.

AOAV Executive Director Iain Overton said: “The extensive deployment of Britain’s special forces in numerous countries over the past decade raises serious concerns about transparency and democratic oversight.

“The lack of parliamentary approval and retrospective reviews for these missions is deeply troubling.”

According to AOAV, after the outbreak of violence in Sudan last month UK special forces oversaw the evacuation of a small group of British diplomats and their families from Khartoum, transporting them to an airbase north of the capital.

In a trend that AOAV noted is designed to protect the secrecy of elite operations, credit was given to the Parachute regiment, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, with no special forces units having been identified for their involvement.

In papers leaked earlier this year, it was also revealed that about 50 special forces members were present in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

In response to the AOAV report, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “It is the longstanding policy of successive governments not to comment on UK special forces.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Warns NATO and US on Ukraine Using Long-Range Weapons
Fragmented EU Defence Industry Needs Urgent Coordination
Political Uncertainty Weakens Germany's Investor Confidence
European Car Makers Struggle in the Electric Vehicle Market
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Emphasizes Economic Necessity of Immigration
Bill Gates Warns of Imminent Threats: War and Pandemics
Germany's Foreign Ministry humorously countered U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's assertion that all immigrants eat pets, in a post on the social platform X
Kamala Harris Wins Post-Debate Survey Against Donald Trump
Impact and Aftermath of 9/11 Attacks on the US and the World
Neighbours Criticise Germany Over Extended Border Controls
EU Court Orders Google to Pay €2.4 Billion Fine
Apple Ordered to Pay Ireland €13bn in Unpaid Taxes
UK Upside Down: Woman Attacked, Police Focus on Her Language Instead of the Attacker
Internet Surpasses TV as UK's Leading News Source
Top Former US Military Leaders Endorse Kamala Harris, Criticize Trump
Australia Implements Minimum Age for Social Media Use
Kim Jong Un Announces Increase in North Korea's Nuclear Arsenal
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE UK COULDN'T SINK ANY LOWER… NOW UK WANT TO SUMMON ELON MUSK OVER "TOO MUCH FREE SPEECH" ON X
RUMBLE BLOCKED IN BRAZIL: A BLOW TO FREE SPEECH
Is it artificial, or intelligent?
CDC: U.S. Fertility Rates Hit Historic Low
Apple's "New" iPhone 16: Same Phone, New Number
Swiss politician lectures a German politician about democracy
Germany has just announced that they will be closing their borders and introducing border controls to protect the country
If ID Is a Must for So Many Small Things, Why Not in Elections?
Make Army Real Again
China just arrested the billionaire founder of a free speech messaging app for not moderating and censoring the content to their liking.
Viktor Orban’s Bold Stand on Immigration
Greece to Impose Levy on Cruise Passengers Visiting Santorini and Mykonos
Here’s What a 240 km/h Typhoon in Vietnam Looked Like
A shift in how people consume news and information is happening!
Former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers: “We’re going to make this election too big to rig.”
Hungary was fined €200 million by the EU for opposing illegal immigration
China Unveils AI App Inspired by Iron Man's Jarvis
Iranian Plots to Kill Jews in Europe Unveiled
Public Health Data Debate, Kidney Transplants, Wildfires, Typhoon Impact, and Controversial YouTube Bans: A Diverse Week in News
Sinner Makes History, Italy Upsets France, Ronaldo's 900th Career Goal, and More in Sports Highlights
Porn streamer OnlyFans paid owner $630mn in dividends
China ends tariffs on all goods exported to China from the poorest countries in the world it has diplomatic ties with, including 33 African nations
Ukraine's Major Government Reshuffle: Andrii Sybiha Appointed New Foreign Minister
WALZ'S FOR TRUMP": Gov. Tim Walz’s family is proudly expressing their 'strong support' for former President Trump
In a public interview yesterday, Putin openly said he wants Kamala Harris to win the 2024 election.
French Woman Testifies in Landmark Rape Trial
Michel Barnier Appointed as Prime Minister of France
Britain Plans to Combat 700 Years of Nepotism in Its Governmental System by Ending Hereditary Peerships in the House of Lords
The art technique of Grandma Mei Ling, age 82
Hungary's Dependence on Russian Oil
Mongolia Refuses to Arrest Putin Despite ICC Warrant
France Pilots Mobile Phone Ban in Schools
Hungary's Quest for Energy Stability Amid Global Tensions
×