British soldier ‘kept Taliban fingers as souvenirs’

Military investigating claims soldier from Scottish regiment in Afghanistan kept body parts of dead insurgents as trophies Claims that a British soldier cut off the fingers of Taliban insurgents as trophies during combat operations in Helmand in Afghanistan are being investigated by the military police. The soldier, from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, is alleged to have removed fingers from dead insurgents during his unit’s tour, which ended in April. Detectives from the special investigation branch of the royal military police are reported by the Sun to have interviewed the soldier, but the MoD has declined to comment in detail or to confirm whether any soldier has been suspended. A spokesman said: “This is a very serious allegation and it would be wrong for us to comment. An investigation is ongoing.” The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who specialises in air assault, were on their second tour of duty in Afghanistan, helping train the Afghan police but also involved in combat and security operations around Helmand. Part of the 16th air assault brigade, a company from the battalion, was also attached to the 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, on combat duties. There is no information on which company the soldier came from. Clive Fairweather, a former SAS commander and former honorary colonel for the Argyll’s cadet force, said if the allegation turned out to be true, the soldier’s comrades would be “horrified” that any soldier collected body parts as souvenirs. “This is one of the taboos of the military. There’s not that many, but this is one of them,” he said. He said some units were required, or under pressure, to produce evidence when an enemy combatant or target has been killed. Normally that would be a photograph or potentially a DNA sample, using a swab. Soldiers did sometimes take trophies, such as enemy equipment. Taking body parts would cause horror. Douglas Young, executive chairman of the British Armed Forces Federation, told the BBC he was “shocked” about the investigation. “While the facts still need to be established, if there turns out to be anything in these claims, clearly the MoD are correct to treat the matter very seriously,” he said. “The alleged behaviour is totally out of kilter with the ethos of the armed forces.” The Argylls, based in Canterbury, Kent, lost one member on their previous tour: a Fiji-born private, Joseva Vatubua. The 24-year-old became the first Nato soldier fatality in Afghanistan in 2011 when he was killed in an explosion during combat operations on 1 January. Military Afghanistan Scotland Severin Carrell guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 8, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.