The spotlight first turned to ex-SAS soldier, Ben Griffin in 2006 when he refused to return to combat in Iraq, claiming that the war was illegal. Griffin also claimed that he had witnessed illegal acts conducted by US troops, who also looked upon the Iraqi people as being sub-human.
Personally, I have nothing but respect for Ben Griffin, as the first SAS soldier to stand up for what he thought was right and not return to combat in what is quite obviously an illegal war.
Ben Griffin served with the parachute regiment for eight years and was a member of the SAS for two years; he has taken part in operations in Macedonia, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland. Judging by his gleaming career, he has witnessed some ugly, dangerous and nightmarish situations. So what made him back out of Iraq?
Griffin has leaked a lot of information into the media. He explained to the Sunday Telegraph that he witnessed innocent civilians being detained for no apparent reason, with the clear knowledge that they would be tortured. The US troops had apparently earned a reputation for being “trigger happy” and would also hand farmers to the authorities knowing that they would also be subject to torture.
Griffin also claimed that the British were involved in the detaining and mistreatment of people in Iraq.
As much as David Miliband will deny that the UK has any involvement in regards to torture, Ben Griffin seems to blow these claims apart by broadcasting the real truth in the form of statements and anti-war rally speeches. One of which you can view here.
Griffin has also revealed that there exists a global network of secretive prisons where individuals are held indefinitely and tortured. Some of these prisons exist in both Iraq and Afghanistan according to Griffin. Obviously this is in breach of all sorts of conventions and laws, yet the British government still remain silent on the matter.
You can read Ben Griffin’s statement in retaliation to David Miliband’s released statement here and here.
It has been over two years since that spotlight was directed towards Ben Griffin, the war in Iraq is still going strong and most likely, the detaining and torture of civilians and non- combatants too. Earlier this year, The Guardian reported that a high court ‘gagged’ Ben Griffin in order to, I can only assume, hide information from the public as he is no longer allowed to make public speeches or disclose any further information that relates to the detainment or mistreatment of anyone during operations in Iraq.
The Guardian’s article can be found here.
Loading ...