Ben Griffin (British Army soldier)

Last updated

Ben Griffin
Birth nameBenjamin Griffin
Born1977
London, United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1997–2005
Wars Iraq War

Benjamin Griffin (born 1977) is a British peace activist, and former British Army infantry soldier.

Contents

Early life

Griffin was born in 1977 in London, England, to a family with military connections. He spent his childhood years in South London, his family relocating to Machynlleth in Wales when he was nine, and he received his formal education there and later in Swansea. During his teenage years he received early military training with the Army Cadet Force. [1]

Military career

In 1997 at the age of nineteen he enlisted with the British Army's Parachute Regiment, going on to serve with its 2nd Battalion in garrison duty in Northern Ireland in the winding down of Operation Banner in the late 1990s-early 2000s, and in the Balkans where the battalion assisted with the disarming of the Macedonia National Liberation Army in the Western Macedonia mountains in 2001. In 2002 the battalion deployed to Afghanistan for 2 months, conducting policing operations, and training the Afghan National Army in the city of Kabul. Griffin subsequently applied to join the Special Air Service Regiment, and having passed its aptitude trials, he was attached to the S.A.S. in 2003. [2]

At the beginning of 2005 he was deployed with the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment's 'G' Squadron in counter-insurgency operations in Baghdad in the aftermath of the 2nd Persian Gulf War. Griffin had already possessed personal political unease at the actions of the British Government in initiating the United Kingdom's entry into the conflict before his deployment in theatre, and during three months in the environs of the capital city he became disillusioned with the nature of the work in which he was engaged. He later cited concerns about the occupation demeanor towards the local population of United States Army units of 'Multi-National Force - Iraq' that he was working with, accusing them of being "trigger happy" compared with British Army's fire discipline, overtly racially prejudiced, [3] and morally objected to detainees that his Squadron were responsible for locating and arresting being handed over to United States Army custody, in which he believed they were being physically abused in pursuance of information. A low point was reached during the deployment when the Commanding Officer of 22. Special Air Service Regiment on a visit to Griffin's Squadron in Baghdad expressed the view, openly to unit's personnel, that he himself had declining confidence in their mission, and that he was uneasy that they were in jeopardy of being turned in to a secret police force in the Iraqi state under United States' authority. [2] In consequence, whilst on leave in the United Kingdom Griffin sought and obtained permission to resign from the British Army in 2005. [4]

Political activism

On leaving the British Army he was employed briefly in corporate security work, before becoming involved in anti-war activism. His initial public pronouncements involved a critique of the use of the British military to facilitate the foreign policy of the United States, [5] but subsequently he broadened his criticism against what he perceives as a subliminal militaristic culture that is socially inherent in the United Kingdom.

In 2008 the British Government imposed a legal injunction upon Griffin to prevent him publicly discussing operations that he had been involved in whilst in Iraq in 2005, where he alleged that Iraqi civilian detainees were severely mistreated by the United States forces in pursuance of intelligence information, which the British military was complicit in. [6] [7] [8]

Griffin is the Co-ordinator of the United Kingdom branch of Veterans for Peace. [9]

In 2011 Griffin took part in a demonstration outside the American Embassy in London in support of Chelsea Manning, a United States Army soldier who had released a mass of classified military documents to public view via an internet outlet. [10]

In April 2013 Griffin took part in a debate at the Oxford Union supporting the proposition "We will not fight for Queen and Country", during which he stated that patriotism is a "false religion", that was propagated self-servingly by influential elitist groups in society who financially benefited from it. He also stated that the professional British Army is composed primarily of the modern equivalent of men-at-arms, whose military service is motivated by other causes than patriotism, and the British Army's esprit de corps is "to go to war, any war" for self-possessed warlike motivation, rather than for more principled aspirations. [11]

In March 2015, as a representative of Veterans for Peace, Griffin went to Northern Ireland to meet with ex-paramilitaries from the Provisional Irish Republican Army, including Seanna Breathnach. At the conclusion of the meeting Griffin and other representatives of Veterans for Peace expressed a new understanding of the IRA's perspective during The Troubles, and expressed remorse about aspects of their military service with the British Army during Operation Banner. The ex-IRA participants expressed in return a new understanding of the "programming" that the Veterans for Peace representatives had explained they had been subjected to in the British Army, but stated they shared no reciprocal regrets about their own activities in the conflict. [12]

In December 2015 Griffin along with two other members of Veterans for Peace publicly discarded their military service medals and service berets, and renounced their military Oath of Allegiance outside the gates of Downing Street in a protest demonstration against the British Government's entry into the Syrian Civil War. [13] [14] [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Army</span> Land warfare force of the United Kingdom

The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. As of 1 January 2023, the British Army comprises 78,060 regular full-time personnel, 4,060 Gurkhas, 27,570 volunteer reserve personnel, and 4,520 "other personnel", for a total of 114,210.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Air Service</span> Special forces of the British Army

The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, direct action and covert reconnaissance. Much of the information about the SAS is highly classified, and the unit is not commented on by either the British government or the Ministry of Defence due to the secrecy and sensitivity of its operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Air Service Regiment</span> Unit of the Australian Army

The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957 as a company, it was modelled on the British SAS with which it shares the motto, "Who Dares Wins". Expanded to a regiment in August 1964, it is based at Campbell Barracks, in Swanbourne, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, and is a direct command unit of the Special Operations Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq</span>

Australia joined a US-led coalition in its 2003 Iraq invasion. Declassified documents reveal that the decision to go to war was taken primarily with a view to enhancing its alliance with the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish Army</span> Land service branch of the Irish Defence Forces

The Irish Army, known simply as the Army, is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 7,300 people served in the Irish Army on a permanent basis as of May 2016, and there were 1,600 active reservists, divided into two geographically organised brigades. By late September 2020, this had reduced to 6,878 permanent army personnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artists Rifles</span> Military unit

The 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve), historically known as The Artists Rifles is a regiment of the Army Reserve. Its name is abbreviated to 21 SAS(R).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Special Air Service</span> Military unit

The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to the Second World War and the famous Long Range Desert Group that New Zealanders served with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Australian Regiment</span> Administrative regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army

The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) is the parent administrative regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. It was originally formed in 1948 as a three battalion regiment; however, since then its size has fluctuated as battalions have been raised, amalgamated or disbanded in accordance with the Australian government's strategic requirements. Currently, the regiment consists of seven battalions and has fulfilled various roles including those of light, parachute, motorised and mechanised infantry. Throughout its existence, units of the Royal Australian Regiment have deployed on operations in Japan, Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam, Somalia, Rwanda, Cambodia, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Steven Billy Mitchell, usually known by the pseudonym and pen-name of Andy McNab, is a novelist and former British Army infantry soldier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Reconnaissance Regiment</span> Special forces regiment of the British Army

The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) is a tier 1 special reconnaissance unit of the British Army. It was established on 6 April 2005 and is part of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian contribution to the 1991 Gulf War</span>

Australia was a member of the international coalition which contributed military forces to the 1991 Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Storm. More than 1,800 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were deployed to the Persian Gulf from August 1990 to September 1991, while contingents from the Royal Australian Navy circulated through the region in support of the sanctions against Iraq until November 2001. In August 1990, two frigates HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Darwin and the replenishment ship HMAS Success left for the Persian Gulf. HMAS Success had no air defences, so the Army 16th Air Defence Regiment was embarked. On 3 December 1990, HMAS Brisbane and HMAS Sydney (IV) relieved HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Darwin. On 26 January 1991, HMAS Westralia replaced HMAS Success. A Navy clearance diving team was also deployed for explosive ordnance disposal and demolition tasks. Australian ships were in danger of sea mines and possible air attacks. In a number of recorded incidents, HMAS Brisbane encountered free floating mines, on one occasion narrowly avoiding a collision. Both HMA Ships Brisbane and Sydney encountered significant air threat warnings from Iran and Iraq throughout the initial period of the commencement of the Desert Storm Campaign. The detection of land based Silkworm anti-ship missiles from Iran throughout the campaign also added to the challenges for both crews as well as the multi-national Naval Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Forces Support Group</span> Military unit

The history of the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS) regiment of the British Army begins with its formation during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, and continues to the present day. It includes their early operations in North Africa, the Greek Islands, and the Invasion of Italy. The Special Air Service then returned to the United Kingdom and were formed into a brigade with two British, two French and one Belgian regiment, and went on to conduct operations in France, Italy again, the Low Countries and finally into Germany.

The Basra prison incident was an event involving British troops in Basra, Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Special Operations Command Task Force in the Iraq War</span> Special operations unit

Joint Special Operations Command Task Force in the Iraq War was a joint American and British special operations unit, of which little is publicly known. It is described as a "hunter-killer team" with its core made up of the United States Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta and the 75th Ranger Regiment, as well as the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group and members of the United States Air Force's 24th Special Tactics Squadron, all under Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and elements from the United Kingdom Special Forces, including the Special Air Service, Special Boat Service (SBS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The unit was reported to be responsible for the cross border raid into Syria from Iraq in October 2008 that resulted in eight deaths including Abu Ghadiya, along with several US operations in the Horn of Africa targeting al Qaeda.

The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing, as well as the supporting No. 47 Squadron. In British freedom of information law, "special forces" has been defined as "those units of the armed forces of the Crown and the maintenance of whose capabilities is the responsibility of the Director of Special Forces or which are for the time being subject to the operational command of that Director". The Royal Marine Commandos and the Ranger Regiment are special operations–capable forces, however they do not form part of the UKSF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gus Gilmore</span>

Major General Peter Warwick "Gus" Gilmore, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, he was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps in 1983 and spent much of his career in special forces. He commanded the Special Air Service Regiment (2001–02), led the first contingent of the Australian Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan (2001–02), was responsible for the Coalition Advisory Support Team in Iraq (2005–06), and commanded International Security Assistance Force Special Operations Forces (2009–10). Following promotion to major general he held a succession of senior appointments, including Special Operations Commander Australia (2011–13), Deputy Chief of Army (2013–15), and Commander Forces Command (2015–16). His final appointment was as Head Military Strategic Commitments Division from 2016 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nish Bruce</span> British soldier

Charles Christian Cameron "Nish" Bruce, was a British Army soldier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed forces in Wales</span> Overview of the British Armed Forces operating in Wales

The Armed forces in Wales are the military bases and organisation in Wales or associated with Wales. This includes servicemen and women from Wales and Welsh regiments and brigades of the British Armed Forces.

References

  1. ↑ 'Ex-SAS soldier blasts Poppy Appeal as a 'political tool', 'Wales Online', 7 November 2010. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ex-sas-soldier-blasts-poppy-appeal-1884260
  2. 1 2 H-Hour Podcast #41 Ben Griffin , retrieved 28 June 2023
  3. ↑ "'I didn't join the British Army to conduct American foreign policy'". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  4. ↑ The Making of a Modern British Soldier - by Ben Griffin , retrieved 28 June 2023
  5. ↑ Correspondent, Sean Rayment, Defence (12 March 2006). "'I didn't join the British Army to conduct American foreign policy'". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235.
  6. ↑ Norton-Taylor, Richard (29 February 2008). "Court gags ex-SAS man who made torture claims". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  7. ↑ McCarthy, James (4 July 2015). "The former SAS man whose experiences in Iraq turned him into anti-war campaigner". WalesOnline. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  8. ↑ Ben Griffin, SAS Special Air Service
  9. ↑ "Ex-British soldier Ben Griffin on why we will not fight for Queen and country". Noglory.org. 2 February 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  11. ↑ Ben Griffin | We Will NOT Fight For Queen and Country , retrieved 28 June 2023
  12. ↑ Ian Cobain. "Road to reconciliation: ex-IRA members and British soldiers come face to face". The Guardian . Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  13. ↑ SAS Trooper Ben Griffin anti war protest Whitehall , retrieved 28 June 2023
  14. ↑ "Veterans discard war medals at Downing Street in protest over Syria". Evening Standard. 9 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "This is why veterans are throwing away their war medals in disgust". The Independent. 8 December 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.