Home > SAS soldier quits Army in disgust at ’illegal’ American tactics in Iraq

SAS soldier quits Army in disgust at ’illegal’ American tactics in Iraq

by Open-Publishing - Tuesday 21 March 2006
22 comments

Edito Wars and conflicts USA

By Sean Rayment

An SAS soldier has refused to fight in Iraq and has left the Army over the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces.

After three months in Baghdad, Ben Griffin told his commander that he was no longer prepared to fight alongside American forces.

He said he had witnessed "dozens of illegal acts" by US troops, claiming they viewed all Iraqis as "untermenschen" - the Nazi term for races regarded as sub-human.

The decision marks the first time an SAS soldier has refused to go into combat and quit the Army on moral grounds.

It immediately brought to an end Mr Griffin’s exemplary, eight-year career in which he also served with the Parachute Regiment, taking part in operations in Northern Ireland, Macedonia and Afghanistan.

But it will also embarrass the Government and have a potentially profound impact on cases of other soldiers who have refused to fight.

On Wednesday, the pre-trial hearing will begin into the court martial of Flt Lt Malcolm Kendall-Smith, a Royal Air Force doctor who has refused to return to Iraq for a third tour of duty on the grounds that the war is illegal. Mr Griffin’s allegations came as the Foreign Office minister Kim Howells, visiting Basra yesterday, admitted that Iraq was now "a mess".

Mr Griffin, 28, who spent two years with the SAS, said the American military’s "gung-ho and trigger happy mentality" and tactics had completely undermined any chance of winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi population. He added that many innocent civilians were arrested in night-time raids and interrogated by American soldiers, imprisoned in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, or handed over to the Iraqi authorities and "most probably" tortured.

Mr Griffin eventually told SAS commanders at Hereford that he could not take part in a war which he regarded as "illegal".

He added that he now believed that the Prime Minister and the Government had repeatedly "lied" over the war’s conduct.

"I did not join the British Army to conduct American foreign policy," he said. He expected to be labelled a coward and to face a court martial and imprisonment after making what "the most difficult decision of my life" last March.

Instead, he was discharged with a testimonial describing him as a "balanced, honest, loyal and determined individual who possesses the strength of character to have the courage of his convictions".

Last night Patrick Mercer, the shadow minister for homeland security, said: "Trooper Griffin is a highly experienced soldier. This makes his decision particularly disturbing and his views and opinions must be listened to by the Government."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...

Forum posts

  • A smart warrior. The Untermenschen that he mentions all immigrated to Amerika. Their are about 280 million of them. That does not include the Native Americans among them, of course.

    • As a german I would say you can not blame all americans. They are a helpless crowd as we are in europe.

    • Satan and his children want civil war in Iraq and regular war in Iran and with more torture pictures coming out, some with women in them, God forbid, they may get what they want! And The British are a nation of Pussies led by a Queen and her monkey boy son. The British could not win a war against the Vatican! Ever since we kicked their asses in the 1700s, they have sucked at war. Even the wimpy Ghandi kicked them out of India. Their troops need to beat up on children and civilians to feel strong, it only natural!
      Sincerely, Jaye, NJ USA

    • one nil to the Vietcong!

  • Maybe the cowardly SAS soldier should now enlist with Al-Qaeda? Al-Qaeda and the insurgents in Iraq certainly show no hatred towards Christians, Westerners, and gays so why should this British soldier fight along with us horrible Americans to help defeat such an honorable group of people? More than likely this soldier didn’t understand his duty to his country when he enlisted in the SAS, and when requested to do something his country needed him to do, he saw it was going to be difficult and dangerous. So to keep himself safe from the "nice" insurgents, he has lost his courage and honor and found a very popular scapegoat....Americans. Strange that not once did he mention that perhaps his presence would have helped some Iraqis as he could have helped protect some from insurgent killings and bombs, but in his twisted little America-hating mind believes he is helping the Iraqis by staying out of the war. In reality, he is only helping save his ass from getting hurt.

    Pretty soon Europe will become Eurabia dominated by radical Muslims, and perhaps the soldier is just wanting to join the winning team by denouncing America?

    Mark my words....in less than 50 years, Europe will no longer be a group of democratic nations....but a group of Islamic republics full of native Europeans that will be considered and treated like "untermenschen."

    My two cents,

    Texas Girl

    • "cowardly SAS soldier"

      To most of the posts here - if you wish to stand defiantly for American values in the face of the world outside, please do the rest of the United States a favor and don’t choose the oversights/morally wrong things to defend - and certainly don’t lambast organisations/countries that have given lives to protect and assist US troops and civilians like brothers.

      It makes the USA look bad when you do that - and you sure as hell don’t stand for me.

      I for one am sick of seeing stupid or malicious people with their ill-considered actions and opinions waving the flag on my behalf.

      As a matter of interest, the fact that the American forces are occasionally conducting themselves in a morally reprehensible (nay untenable) fashion does not constitute an attack on Americans or their values.

      I say fact, because this man has not been court marshalled, or considered a coward, or imprisoned, and has been marked as exemplary by SAS command - which is about the most discerning military authority in the world, whether it’s the SAS of Australia or the United Kingdom, means it MUST be a matter of objective fact.

      If it were not stone cold, objective, not even plausibly deniable facts the man was talking about, you can bet your bottom dollar the British authorities would have the man out of the press limelight and imprisoned, shot or whatever long before he could have an interview on Radio 4, a public service broadcaster in the UK.

      This guy has only seen ANYTHING because he’s been there, elbow deep fighting with our troops on our (yes, our) behalf at great personal risk, which is probably 1000 times the commitment to preserving freedom, democracy and American servicemen’s lives you’ll ever make. and who in HELL’s name you think you are to call the guy a coward I don’t know.

      The fact that these people jumped in head first to help us out in Afghanistan when their tiny little country is on everyone’s doorstep and is much more vulnerable than ours should tell you it ain’t all about *evil America* - but don’t let that stop you.

      People see war crimes going on, and you fail to draw a distinction there. If they hate war crimes, they hate America you say. Well great - if we keep pushing THAT line to everyone, the day they agree will be the day you realise what a stupid argument it was.

      "mark my words"

      Why would anybody mark your words, when you clearly take such scant consideration of them before you fire them off?

      "Join Al Qaeda"

      You make a fool of yourself, frankly.

      If I were a congenital idiot, I’d keep my mouth shut and hope nobody noticed. You can use that little tip if you like, lady.

    • Just a few comments again from Texas Girl.....I must say I quite enjoy doing my part in pissing off the radical left. :-) Mark my words....:-)

      American values are much more superior to those than the idiots that practice radical Islam. I frankly can’t understand why Iraqi war protestors believe that to overthrow Saddam was a bad thing. Isn’t this Web site designed to fight for human rights? Wouldn’t you want to see more democracies in the world? I think all protestors against the war in Iraq have lost sight of what it is like to not have any kind of freedoms. You enjoy in America a great life. You are comfortable and safe for the most part, and you have the freedom to disagree with the war. Can’t you understand that a lot of people have died and stood up to evil and dictators so you can have the great life that you do? Was Saddam Hussein such a great man in your eyes? Was he worth keeping in power? Was Iraq such a paradise before he was removed? Do you justify having him in power only to keep American/Western power in check? Is American power around the world worse than what the alternative might be? We stood up against Communism and we should stand up against Radical Islam.

      Here’s a fantastic quote that proves an excellent point:

      "The problem is liberalism... classical liberalism had a belief in it’s own moral superiority. The people who were involved in establishing it believed in it. The people who lived in freedom b/c of classical liberalism loved it.

      We are losing our love of freedom... In europe it’s so much worse than here... they no longer see the arrangement of their society as morally superior to any other... they therefore do not see a reason to "convert" thier immigrants to their belief system... b/c that would be too hubirstic. So they don’t teach the merits of democracy and equality before the law to any of the children in their schools...muslim or native born. So in a sense, they don’t even have anything to convert them to if they wanted to assimilate them."

      If you and others like you denounce the overthrow of Saddam you are really, quite frankly, stating your support for his dictatorship and all the wonderful things that came with it. Suppose the insurgents do win in Iraq against the Western militaries and Iraq becomes another totalitarian Iran copy-cat. Will this satisfy you that more women will be subjugated and abused under sharia (Muslim law)? Will you be happy now, that one more place on earth will be under the control of Islamic idiots whose idea of justice for an adulterous woman is public stoning or for gay men to be killed just for being gay? Or if you are a Dutch filmmaker who has the guts to criticize Islam’s treatment of women, you will have your throat slit, be shot, and then be killed after pleading for your life.

      If you believe that all wars are wrong. Fine. However, there are those that will take advantage of your pacifism and will still declare jihad on your ass no matter how opposed to war you are. The Christian hostage Tom Fox from the USA went over to Iraq to investigate abuse by American soldiers and to show his support for keeping Saddam in power. His naivete at assuming that the insurgents and that radical Muslims are victims of American "imperialism" and that the USA is the bad guy, he got kidnapped by these fine people (more than likely Saddam loyalists), tortured and beaten with electrical cables, and then was murdered. But wait!! He opposed the war!!! How could this happen???? I’ll tell you folks, because no matter how you try to rationalize that the Iraq war is wrong and that the use of violence to achieve freedom is "imperialism", you still are going to have people like radical islamo-fascists who will not, I repeat, will not hesitate to harm you because you are a non-Muslim. 9/11 wasn’t the result of American foreign policy. 9/11 was the result and the first in a chessboard move by the Islamists to set in place a war to conquer the West and to set up Islamic outposts. Europe is already an Islamic outpost, and Europe will one day see war again like it did in the late 700’s when Charles Martel fought off the Islamic armies. Just think of how backward our world would be today if the Muslims had won?

      Just because of Abu Gharib and the bad actions of a few American soldiers, doesn’t mean that the USA’s presence in Iraq is evil. Remember that Saddam was given a chance to leave Iraq by the USA to avert a war and spare the Iraqi people from. Well guess what...being the fine human being that he is....(oh, I love being sarcastic), he said no and look at all the Iraqis that have viciously been slaughtered by other Muslims and insurgents because of his arrogance and lack of feeling for his people. Now remember folks, your opposition to Saddam’s removal suggests that you supported his invasion of Kuwait that killed many people, you supported his methods of dealing with the Kurds, you supported his killing of people who opposed his rule, and most importantly of all you supported his "peace-loving" ways. I challenge you all to do some research on Saddam’s methods of torture (videos and pictures are on the Web) to Abu Ghraib photos and see how truly different they are. Might make a few of you come to your senses.

      Western Civilization has given so much to this world in the last 1,200 years, but anti-war protestors and clueless leftists will so gladly give it all up in the name of "peace." Leftists will be more than happy to aid any group that will stand up against American influence no matter how bad they may be. This I struggle with daily to understand how there can really be people living in democracies that think the USA is evil and must be destroyed. Let’s see France opposed the Iraq war....but didn’t they just have some riots that lasted 22 days by radical Muslims? Many people in Great Britain opposed the Iraqi war and even they were bombed by home-grown idiots. The cartoon fiasco by the Danish newspaper had Muslim protestors out in the streets of London calling for the destruction of the West!!! Wake up everyone!!!!! America isn’t the enemy folks.....radical Islam is!!!

      Texas Girl

    • Dear Texas girl,
      we in Eurabia will be greeting you in los friggin texanos con fajitas muchos stupidos muchacas idiotos.
      We think you get the picture... eh no?

    • Somebody Please...prove to me that not EVERYONE from Texas is some ethnocentric pea-brained moron that doesnt have the sense to keep their ’never-left-the-State-let-alone-the country’ generic opinions to themselves

    • Dear brain washed Texas girl, a trillion dollars is a steep price to for the removal of Saddam. Add that with the human cost and for what so war incorporated can make billions. As an American I think countries should decide their own fates and not have foreigners decide it for them at gunpoint. So you’re from Texas maybe you should worry more about the invasion coming from south of the boarder. Oh that’s right you haven’t figured that out yet....You must believe all the lies that comes from another Texan President W Grump. The SAS is one of the finest military outfits in the world. Although I do think that Mr. Griffin’s could have shown more class.

    • Texas Girl,
      The root of mideast problems started in 1948 when Rithschild set up the Israel State over theft and blood of Palestineans. Would you not feel the same way if let’s say Vincente Fox did the same to you and your beloved Texass?
      In fact all of U.S. was started through blood of others and through fabrications on paper...a real paper tiger.
      You could learn alot from Griffin, travel abroad and loudly proclaim that you are from Texass and see what you get...do us a favor.

    • Go get ’em Tex.

      Good for you. Take these radical lefty moonbats to school.

      Respect for Toronto, Canada.

      Peace.

    • Great post...assuming your intent was to say absolutely nothing at all.

    • This SAS soldier is a man who is prepared to use his freewill to follow his morals and concience. I say well done you are a man amongs a million of those who talk and do nothing.
      Texas girl just crawl back into your room and drool over you collection of Abu Graib photos. American values, what are they, drugs, porn and killing innocent woman and children for more profits for your multinational armaments brigade, interesting that since the end of WW11 America has invaded other countries just about non stop and then left troops to protect their business interests. they still have occupation troops in england, italy, germany and australia this is a democracy we can well do without. Then I suppose it all comes down to the fact that if you have no respect and love for yourself then you certainly cannot have the same for others. I just hope the creator can forgive America, I have forgiven them and texas girl as well, as i believe they do not know any better.

    • What is a ’MOONBAT’? I have noticed all people who watch too much Fox news use that term...is it a Fox news made up word? What does it mean? I have a feeling that anyone using that word is a moon-calf......it is hard to feel superior when you are just a moon-calf.

  • Thanks to Trooper Griffin for following his conscience. May his conscience touch others. May George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfield look in the mirror when they speak of terrorists and may they repent of their actions.

    Peace to all!

    • Hi Texas Girly,

      The military authorities have let him off the hook because he’s an articulate chap, who could be more of an embarassment if charged.

      ’’Radical Islam’’ as you put it is tiny. Sharia law would not exist in Iraq, it is in decline. Before Bush was prodded by cronies to bomb and maim women and babies in Iraq, it was one of the most civilised countries in the World. A health service and infrastructure which was enviable.
      Saddam was a c*nt, no two ways about it, but no threat, and was definitely no worse than any other governments, especially Saudi arabia, ...but then they’re ’’oil friendly’’ aren’t they ?

      I’m sure most US citizens have excellent American values. However as a nation, using more energy than the rest of the world put together, killing 17 million people since WW 2, accounting for 4.5% of the population yet using 60 % of the worlds illegal drugs and having record obesity rates is probably worse than ascribing to some waco religion.

  • Dear Texas Girl,
    Don’t delude yourself in to thinking that my distain for your neo god validates your views anyway.
    You’re watching too much fox news and the worst part is you believe it! America should be for the American people not global parasites. As for people crossing America’s boarders how would you know who or what they’re bringing with them? You talk bad about the SAS, they are the same outfit that American’s special force and commandos are based on...No more talking neo points please. At least my ideas are my own are yours?

    • Texas Girl is one of the 29 percenters...those people always vote against their own interests based on some gimick that gets dangled in front of them, its usually some emotional issue like gay marriage, or abortion, things that don’t really affect their lives or their incomes, and really has no bearing on them at all....but makes them feel superior to someone because they are "better" than that person who is the wrong color, has different religious views, etc. or does not conform to their views of how others should live their lives.

      They are generally too stupid to see a ruse and they buy into it every time. The Republican party depends on people like her to be too stupid to even know their own best interests. They play on their stupidity and use them as tools to help get them elected where they then screw people like her over and only occasionally throw them a few crumbs to keep them supporting the things that amount to self inflicted wounds.

      It is no good trying to reason with people like that, they have no common sense, probably never had any and just want to be better than someone to make up for the fact they are losers She will continue to support and defend the worst behavior in government officials as long as she gets to feel like she is morally superior, or comes from a "better" country than someone else, etc.

  • There would be no militant Islam if there was no Imperialistic and covert US. The US is also guilty of inciting radical Islam throughout the middle east. Reverse psychology works wonderfully for the present military establishment and US, Inc. Stirring up the fire, then offering to fix the problem WE created, in the case of Afghanistan and Iraq, by force.

    Don’t be fooled.

    • What i say to all you Americans who believe in the Iraq war —> fuck you.

      You sit back and call him a coward? He has more balls that your president. To refuse to go to war and face the fact that he might go to jail because of what he believes in is not being a coward... he is smart. To fight a pointless, disgusting and brutal war for oil is by far as illegal as it can get.

      The Americans can be just as bad as Al-Qaeda at times. If you think bombing the shit out of Baghdad and killing innocent civilians isn’t a terrorist attack, but 9-11 was.... I dont know what the hell you are thinking. Both just as bad as each other.

      Maybe America and Al-Qaeda should join forces and destroy the world in tons of mind-less, criminal, disgusting and terrorist acts. Seeing as though both of you seem to be just as good as each other at killing innocent civilians.

      I hope this pisses a lot of Americans off.... since they seem to piss the rest of the world off.

    • I hate Bush and his real bosses more than you ever could. (They tried to take my job) I work with foreigners all the time I’m a Longshoreman (shipboss). I’m getting tired of their holier than thou bullshit and almost beat the fuck out of the whole crew. The pussy captain and his cunt crew ran. What a bunch of European wimps. At least the Asians respect a man that can beat the fuck out of them. Oh, that’s right that pussy ship came in again last week and they where afraid to come off their cunt ship. So next you want to talk about cowards remember this you can run but you can hide. You come to my house show respect and don’t be so arrogant. I know their ship better than anyone of them, I been in charge of loading and discharging that class ship for the last ten years now, it was their maiden voyage, what arrogant cunts.