British soldier quits in protest of 'illegal' war

A British special forces (SAS) soldier has resigned from the army, describing the military intervention in Iraq as a "war of aggression" and "morally wrong." The soldier said he witnessed "dozens of illegal acts" by US forces there. Ben Griffin, 28, who left after three months in Baghdad, is believed to be the first SAS soldier to refuse to go into combat and to leave the army on moral grounds. His decision comes at a time of growing disenchantment among British soldiers about their presence in Iraq. This week, pre-trial hearings are due to start in the court martial of Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith, an RAF doctor who is refusing to return to Iraq on the grounds that the war is illegal. Kendall-Smith's lawyer, Justin Hugheston-Roberts, said on Mar. 12: "We will be arguing that he has no case to answer because, without a UN mandate, the invasion of Iraq was manifestly unlawful and any subsequent order was therefore unlawful." Griffin told the British newspaper the Sunday Telegraph on Mar. 12 that he had expected to face a court martial for leaving the SAS. Instead, he was discharged with a glowing testimonial. When he was on leave in March last year he told his commanding officer he had no intention of returning to Iraq. He said he was very angry "at the way the politicians have lied to the British public about the war. But most importantly, I didn't join the British Army to conduct American foreign policy." He said he had witnessed dozens of illegal acts by US fighters who viewed Iraqis as "sub-human." Griffin said: "I saw a lot of things in Baghdad that were illegal or just wrong. The Americans were doing things like chucking farmers into Abu Ghraib, or handing them over to the Iraqi authorities, knowing full well they were going to be tortured." The Ministry of Defense does not comment officially on any activities involving Britain's special forces. However, defense officials did not deny that Griffin left the SAS in protest against the war in Iraq. The SAS has been operating under cover in Iraq since the invasion, working with US special forces seeking out insurgents and foreign Arab fighters linked to or proclaiming sympathy with al-Qaida. British officers have told the Guardian that they have been dismayed by US military tactics in Iraq. They also say that attempts to train the Iraqi army and police are fraught with problems.