What the explosive testimony of a minister reveals about Britain’s war in Afghanistan – and its rogue special forces | Frank Ledwidge

The probe into 80 alleged SAS killings heard evidence from Johnny Mercer and highlighted the urgent need for oversight

The Afghanistan inquiry is getting into gear at the Royal Courts of Justice. Led by the judge Charles Haddon-Cave, this public inquiry was convened to investigate about 80 killings allegedly committed by the SAS in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013. Proceedings took a dramatic turn last month when the minister for veterans' affairs, Johnny Mercer, gave evidence.

It was astonishing to watch. Mercer stated that he had heard from trusted sources" shocking accounts of serial murder and attempted cover-ups by SAS personnel in Afghanistan. Once he became the minister for veterans (part of the Cabinet Office), he expressed his deep concerns about them to the then defence secretary, Ben Wallace, who asked him to get to the bottom of these well-publicised allegations. Mercer made great efforts to do so.

Frank Ledwidge is a barrister and former military officer who served in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the author of Losing Small Wars and Investment in Blood