Sighs of relief all round that former Veterans' Minister Johnny Mercer appears to have satisfied the Haddon-Cave Afghanistan Inquiry, at least for now, and avoided sanctions for failing to name informants.An inquiry spokeswoman said:
Mr Mercer has provided further information in response to the Section 21 notice and agreed to assist the inquiry further. The inquiry team will be taking this forward.For the time being, the chair will not be taking further action in relation to the Section 21 notice or making further comment.
Mr Mercer responded on 'X':
I note the judge's comments. My position remains unchanged from the beginning of the year. I will always do all I can to assist this important inquiry. I will not betray those I served with who have confided in me, whatever the cost.
As I have repeatedly stated, it remains entirely inappropriate to name those who confided in me without their consent. ...
We don't know, and don't need to know, how the difficulty was got around. Perhaps one or more informants consented to their names being provided, subject to the protections which the Inquiry promised.
Some people commenting on social media or newspaper sites appear to think that Mr Mercer was withholding direct information about alleged crimes possibly committed by members of British special forces in Afghanistan - and that he was right to do so.
That is the reverse of Mr Mercer's actual position. He has been, and continues to be, highly critical of the way in which the law has handled events in Northern Ireland and more recent conflicts - that would be a debate for another day - but he has been in no way condoning crimes if they have occurred, and told the Inquiry that he expressed his own concerns while serving in the Government.
[Post submitted by BAFF member]
