New Armed Forces chief vows to end witch-hunt
THE new head of the Armed Forces yesterday vowed to stop the witchhunt against military veterans over alleged incidents in conflict zones.
In his first interview since taking over as Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter pledged that “vexatious claims” against veterans would not happen on his watch.
Thousands of claims were made against British troops in Iraq, most of them by a now discredited law firm.
Yesterday at RAF Coningsby, Lincs, Gen Carter said: “It is right and proper that if our soldiers have done something wrong then they should clearly be investigated. But only if they have done something wrong.
“We need to have standards, we need to have values that people are held against otherwise we will lose the moral high ground.
“What is fundamentally wrong though is if they are chased by people who are making vexatious claims. That will not happen on my watch. Absolutely not.
“If you end up with a clutch of vexatious claims then that undermines morale and has the risk of undermining our combat ethos and our fighting spirit. I would absolutely stamp on any of that sort of activity.”
Gen Carter also used the interview to remind people of the “remarkable job” done by the British Army in Northern Ireland and pledged to provide help for those being investigated.
Four British soldiers are charges over incidents in Northern Ireland, some dating back more than 40 years, despite having been previously cleared by investigations at the time.
Another 278 cases involving Northern Ireland veterans are understood to be under investigation.
He said: “What we must try and remind ourselves about in this whole Northern Ireland issue is actually what an extraordinar- facing ily amazing job the British Army did through 30 years in Northern Ireland.
“The point I’d make is that we as an institution are absolutely going to look after those people who are being investigated this way.”
Previously Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood broke ranks with the Government’s position when he backed calls for a time limit for investigations.
A consultation document issued by Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles does not include provision for a statute of limitations, to the anger of many Conservative MPs.
But Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has pledged to look at “all options” to protect veterans from investigations amid fears troops could be targeted. Gen Carter added: “A lot of people have got a lot of opinions about that and that’s part of the consultation and I think it would be wrong for me to prejudge which direction it went in.
“I think it is sad this is happening.
“Of course there is a process of consultation going on at the moment and I don’t really want to prejudge where that consultation goes.” Daily Express May 29