Former SAS Brigadier Speaks Out: “We Live Under the Shadow of Prosecution”
Ed Butler warns veterans live under constant threat of investigation as government plans to reopen legacy cases risk deepening divisions and destroying lives
Brigadier Ed Butler CBE, a decorated officer who commanded 22 SAS in the aftermath of 9/11, has spoken candidly about the fear and trauma endured by veterans of Northern Ireland.
In an interview with The Times, Butler admitted he still worries about a knock at the door over historic operations from the Troubles.
Butler is not alone. He describes himself as “one of hundreds of SAS men” who live under the same cloud — not just those who served in Ulster, but also those who fought in Afghanistan and Syria.
Investigations into historic incidents have driven some veterans into psychiatric treatment, with men who risked everything for their country now tormented by the prospect of legal action decades later.
“We were hauled through a very traumatic and emotional nine months, being accused of murder and being part of a shoot-to-kill policy. We went through five days of hell in court in Belfast. It scarred me. It was hugely traumatic not just for me but also for my family,” Butler told The Times
Butler himself was accused of murder in 2012 for his role during the Troubles. The case was thrown out, but the damage was done. He describes it as “hugely traumatic” — a burden carried not just by him, but by his wife and children.
Now, with Labour set to reopen legacy cases under new legislation, veterans could face further persecution. The government argues this will provide closure to bereaved families. Butler calls it “horrifyingly ill-considered” and warns it will reopen old wounds, deepen divisions, and hand propaganda victories to the IRA.
The Wider Impact
This is not simply about justice for the past. Butler warns the current approach is actively undermining the present:
Mental Health: Veterans are being broken by the constant fear of investigation, some admitted to the Priory clinic as a result.
Family Strain: The burden is shared by spouses and children, who live with the same uncertainty and stigma.
Operational Effectiveness: Serving soldiers are beginning to hesitate in combat, second-guessing themselves for fear of future prosecution.
As Butler bluntly puts it: “It is having a huge impact on serving men and women, on the veteran community and on their families. It’s only getting worse.”
Justice or Politics?
The government insists that reopening cases is about giving families answers. Yet Butler argues this approach will not heal but divide. He warns that the IRA is adept at turning prosecutions into martyrdom and grievance, while soldiers — who operated under orders and within the law as it stood — are left isolated, their sacrifices forgotten.
Where We Stand
At Justice for Veterans, we believe no soldier should spend their later years living in fear of a knock on the door for actions taken decades ago in the fog of war. The men and women who served in Northern Ireland did so in the service of peace and under the authority of the government of the day.
To hound them now, while many former terrorists sit in power or walk free under the Good Friday Agreement, is not justice. It is betrayal.
The words of Brigadier Butler should serve as a warning: what is being passed off as “truth and reconciliation” risks becoming nothing more than political theatre — staged at the expense of those who bore the real cost of conflict.
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