Burnham-On-Sea’s MP James Heappey has this week spoken out passionately in Parliament about his dismay regarding an ongoing investigation of war veterans.
Having served in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq when in the Army, Mr Heappey believes the current situation could negatively impact current soldiers serving on the front line.
Under the Government’s plans, a new investigation unit will be set up to deepen the police probe into all 302 killings by troops during 30 years of Ulster’s Troubles.
The Burnham MP said: “As a platoon commander, I was only too aware that I was training my soldiers to go out on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, to remove the safety catch and open fire, acting entirely on instinct in the heat of the moment, drawing on everything they had learned in their pre-deployment training and everything they had seen on the tour hitherto.”
“We have to give soldiers the confidence that, on the rare occasions on which they take those decisions—on operations in hugely dangerous situations—and get them wrong, the system will back them up and will agree that they followed the rules of engagement, and that, once all the investigations in theatre are complete, that is them done.”
The former Major also said that soldiers have to make decisions so quickly that thoughts of having to endure further investigations when they have left the Army could result in catastrophic consequences.
Mr Heappey said: “Soldiers have to know that that process is complete, and that when it is done the nation will stand behind them.”
“Otherwise, in that split second when the safety catch has to be removed and lethal force has to be applied, they will hesitate. That could cost them their life.”
The probe is reportedly estimated to last five years minimum, and draw in thousands of vets as suspects and witnesses – despite many now being in their 60s and 70s and already found innocent.
