Afghanistan war crimes probe reveals key photos never sent to experts
A former senior officer admitted that images of dead Afghan men showing signs of head trauma were not forwarded for technical analysis during Operation Northmoor.
By Simon Bennett ·
Nineteen dead Afghan men were photographed during two operations in February 2011, yet their images were never sent to specialists for detailed review. This admission was made by Lieutenant Colonel John Harvey OBE to the Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan on Tuesday. Harvey served as the Gold commander of Operation Northmoor from 2016 to 2019. That investigation cost ten million pounds and sought to determine if UK Special Forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan. It concluded in 2019 with no prosecutions.
Harvey testified that he viewed photographs of the men, identified in military records as Enemy Killed in Action. The images showed individuals with traumatic bleeding to the face or head. Many were lying next to pillows stained with blood. Harvey stated that the pictures "didn't seem right." He conceded that, despite his earlier assessment that the images "cried out for examination," he did not have them sent to experts for further investigation.
The inquiry focused on two specific Deliberate Detention Operations. The first occurred on February 7, 2011, involving nine dead men. The second took place on February 9, 2011, involving eight dead men. In the second set of images, two men were lying in corners of a room. One lay on what appeared to be bedding with a heavily blood-stained pillow near his head. Blood spatter was visible on the wall. Counsel Oliver Glasgow KC noted that while the images shown to the inquiry were low-quality copies, Harvey had access to higher-resolution JPEG files during his command.
Harvey acknowledged he could have submitted the higher-quality images. Glasgow presented prior evidence from an officer who reported that an SAS member said the force had a policy of killing all fighting-age males on sight. Harvey agreed that the photographs reminded him of that testimony. He admitted the images "were never submitted." Glasgow suggested that this failure deprived all parties of valuable information that might have cleared the special forces of wrongdoing.
Harvey accepted that the details, including a possible blanket across one man's chest, could suggest the pair were sleeping. He agreed with the characterization that the lack of expert analysis deprived the inquiry of potentially useful data. He added that the only reason parties might avoid examining such photographs is because they "don't want the answers to come out." Harvey was awarded an OBE in 2020 for his work in the role, the year he left the army.
The Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan continues to examine the conduct of UK forces during the conflict. Harvey's testimony provides a detailed account of the evidentiary handling during Operation Northmoor. The ten million pound investigation originally looked into allegations of executions, including those of children. The final report of that operation found no grounds for prosecution.
