Scottish Army Officer Cleared Of Mutilations In Afghanistan

A SCOTTISH 'war hero' has been cleared of cutting off dead Taliban fighters' fingers as trophies. The 25-year-old Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders lieutenant, the youngest officer to receive the Military Cross, was investigated along with a captain and a private.
But the Service Prosecuting Authority have now dropped the inquiry, accepting the three men's explanation they removed the fingers for 'identification purposes.' This is against the army's own guidelines and procedures.
The MoD said the men made a "serious error in judgment" under heavy fire in Afghanistan but were not collecting trophies.
New training guidelines have been scrambled introduced to ensure there is no repeat of the 'error.'
The men said they did not have time to set up a biometrics camera, used to collect ID data, after the Taliban fighters were killed in Helmand province.
Fingerprints and identifiying marks are important to identify key Taliban targets.
The MoD said Army basic training had been adapted to reinforce the guidelines on the acceptable treatment of fallen foes.
He said: "This incident is one we would not like to see repeated. The dropping of the charges in this instance is good news for the regiment but it is being regarded as a lesson learned." Hero, eh?