Fears Labour's SAS 'witch-hunts' could leave UK-US 'special relationship' in tatters

Peter Stevens
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:25:05 +0000

SAS resginations over "witch-hunts" thanks to Labour's Troubles Bill could further harm the UK-US special relationship, a former SAS chief has warned.

A "significant" number of SAS soldiers have resigned over fears human rights lawyers could begin court proceedings for actions carried out under Government orders.

Lt Col Richard Williams, a former commanding officer of 22 SAS, said he feared the exodus of troops had become a "national security risk".

He said the resignations would worry the US, whose own Special Forces work closely with the UK, and further harm relations between Washington and Whitehall.

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Relations between the UK and US have been under increasing strain after Donald Trump said Sir Keir Starmer was "no Winston Churchill", criticised the Prime Minister for his response to the Iran war, and threatened to downgrade Britain's trade agreement.

Lt Col Williams told LBC: "The Americans bring scale, resources, helicopters, drones. We bring highly trained personnel.

"If that capability is diminished, it affects not just us but the wider alliance... It is putting national security at risk."

The resignations have come amid fury over recent "war crimes" probes into soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Syria.

Another factor has been the treatment of elderly Troubles veterans, who have been subject to "baseless" and "meritless" legal challenges according to two former Army commanders.

Pat Harrigan, a US representative and former Green Beret in the US, said on social media: "This is not good for America or its allies, and only serves to reduce our readiness and embolden our adversaries."

Mr Harrigan, who also serves on the House armed services committee in Congress, said the SAS was losing soldiers over fears the operators fear a "a knock on the door from a human rights lawyer" more than the "enemy".

He told The Telegraph the British Government's response to the SAS resignations was poor and could result in soldiers losing motivation to serve.

"As someone who served in Special Forces, I can tell you that when you break the trust between a government and its warriors and let lawyers turn combat decisions into courtroom spectacles, you do not just lose soldiers, you lose the will to fight," he said.

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The Telegraph reported Mr Harrigan received briefings from senior retired British military officials about the "persecution" faced by Northern Ireland veterans.

Mr Harrigan said the application of human rights laws "retrospectively" to determine how special forces can combat mass murderers and terror groups was "dangerous".

He added: "This is not good for America or its allies, and only serves to reduce our readiness and embolden our adversaries."

Joni Ernst, a Republican Senator from Iowa who served in the US military for 23 years, has now joined with Mr Harrigan to draft a joint resolution to "condemn the political prosecution of special operators by our allies".

The resignations follow the Government's decision to scrap the Tories' Northern Ireland Legacy Act which provided immunity to British veterans who served in the conflict.

Labour said the legislation did not comply with human rights laws, but Armed Forces campaigners have said the Bill offers "inadequate" protections and could expose veterans to vexatious court claims.

Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, is set to be questioned over the human rights implications by the Joint Committee on Human Rights today.

Three associations representing thousands of troops from the SAS, Special Boat Service and Special Reconnaissance Regiment sent a joint letter to MPs saying the Nill is "unworkable" and an "egregious infringement of veterans' rights".

Alex Burghart, the shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, said: "The Government needs to kill this unloved Bill. Veterans are being dragged through the courts on ludicrous grounds decades after the event. It is time to draw a line and move on."