Gwyn Jenkins is accused of suppressing evidence related to unlawful killings by the SAS in Afghanistan, failing to report it to the appropriate authorities.
General Gwyn Jenkins has been appointed as the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff by the British government, with approval from King Charles III. This decision comes despite unresolved allegations that Jenkins neglected to report potential war crimes in Afghanistan and subsequently impeded the relocation of crucial witnesses.
Jenkins is replacing Admiral Ben Key, who resigned the previous week amidst an ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct. Reports indicate that Key is being investigated for an alleged affair with a lower-ranking female colleague.
Two years prior, Jenkins faced scrutiny following a BBC report that alleged he, in his role as Vice-Chief of the Defense Staff, did not pass on evidence to the Royal Military Police concerning SAS soldiers allegedly executing detainees who were handcuffed in Afghanistan.
Jenkins did not comment on the allegations at that time. The UK Ministry of Defense stated that commenting on allegations potentially within the scope of the statutory inquiry would be “not appropriate for us to comment on allegations which may be within the scope of the statutory inquiry.”
In April 2024, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed Jenkins, who was the Vice-Chief of the Defense Staff at the time, as National Security Adviser. However, the subsequent government, led by Keir Starmer, reversed the appointment. Starmer did not comment on specific appointments but stressed the necessity for an “open and transparent process” for future nominations. News sources attributed the reversal to Jenkins’ involvement in the current inquiry.
Earlier this month, a BBC Panorama report claimed that Jenkins oversaw the denial of hundreds of relocation requests from Afghan commandos. These commandos had worked alongside British forces and possessed firsthand knowledge of UK military operations. The report further stated that these denials effectively prevented key witnesses from entering Britain and providing testimony in the public inquiry into the Afghan conflict.
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