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Defence chiefs are being accused of attempting to prevent the Army from supporting SAS veterans facing murder charges for shooting dead IRA terrorists during The Troubles.
The revelation follows the disclosure that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered all regimental headquarters and serving military personnel not to support a petition calling for protection of Northern Ireland military veterans against prosecution.
This move by the MoD comes after it emerged that up to 20 SAS veterans could face murder charges for shooting dead armed IRA terrorists more than 30 years ago.
The MoD has instructed all Army headquarters not to advertise or support any petitions calling for veterans’ protection from prosecution.
An email stated: “With immediate effect please ensure that all of your communication channels (including Twitter/X etc.) remove any feeds related to the NI Troubles Act announcement and any associated petitions.”
The email went on to say that further advice would be provided on “what is and is not acceptable to communicate and the apolitical stance we are expected to take.”
The petition, which has more than 100,000 signatures, was launched after the SAS Association wrote to all Army regiments urging them to “engage” with their MPs and consider a day of mass protest in support of veterans facing prosecution.
Labour has angered a large number of veterans after its decision to scrap the Legacy Act, which offered protection for UK troops who served during The Troubles fighting the IRA.
The legislation, introduced by the Tories, was intended to end historical inquests and prevent new civil cases from being launched.
Tory MP David Davis said: “Veterans’ voices must not be silenced by bureaucratic interference. Seven hundred and twenty-two British soldiers were killed by paramilitary murderers during The Troubles. Not one of those deaths will be revisited.”
He added in Parliament that veterans now faced a slew of “politically motivated trials,” calling it “a clear example of two-tier justice.”
One Army source said: “This is an unprecedented intervention by the Ministry of Defence, which is trying to gag serving members of the armed forces.
“The response from the MoD is extraordinary. They claim supporting veterans facing prosecution is political. We fundamentally disagree with that.”
Former members of the SAS who took part in two separate operations—known as the Clonoe and Coagh ambushes—over 30 years ago, in which several IRA members were shot dead, are potentially facing murder charges after a coroner ruled they used excessive force.
The veterans’ petition was set up earlier this month by retired Brigadier Ian Robert Liles, who called on Labour to scrap the reforms amid fears it would lead to veterans being prosecuted.
Mr Liles said the campaign was aimed at blocking the law changes, which would affect former soldiers who served under Operation Banner—the codename for Britain’s military campaign in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007.
Two separate tweets from The Rifles’ and the Royal Fusiliers’ Regimental HQ accounts on X shared the petition, urging members to sign it to spark a debate in Parliament to “correct” the reforms to the Act.
An email from The Royal Welsh’s Regimental HQ, sent out by retired Colonel Rob Dickinson, called on troops and their families to back the campaign.
An MoD spokesperson said: “As the public would expect, official social media channels must comply with relevant guidance, including impartiality and neutrality.
“The guidance quoted by the newspaper also makes clear that non-official accounts are separate entities and free to post whatever they wish.”
