SAS exonerated as use of force in 1991 IRA ambush declared justified
The TelegraphThe use of lethal force by SAS soldiers in an ambush that killed three IRA men in Co Tyrone in 1991 was justified, a coroner has ruled. Mr Justice Michael Humphreys said he was satisfied the use of force was “reasonable” as the soldiers had an honest belief that it was necessary in order to prevent loss of life. The coroner added: “Rather than condemning them, the response of senior officers in the British Army has been to excuse, justify and support such reprehensible conduct.” Turning to the original RUC investigation, Mr Justice Humphreys said police had failed to challenge accounts given by soldiers, had failed to interview the soldiers promptly after the shootings occurred and had failed to investigate the planning of the operation at all. Delivering his verdict, the coroner said: “In each case, the use of lethal force was justified as the soldiers had an honest belief that it was necessary in order to prevent loss of life.
History of this topic
SAS soldiers 'suspected' of executing unarmed Afghans and covering up potential war crimes
The IndependentDiscover Related