Follow The Money: How London Became an Oligarchs Paradise

Protestors Demonstrating at an Oligarch Property

Since the 1990s, London has been a playground for the oligarchs of Russia. The city offered them the perfect place to hide, launder, and spend their money. The cycle of wealthy Russians coming to London and using the city to launder their wealth was a process that would never end. The Russia-Ukraine conflict and subsequent sanctions against Russia pushed this process to the forefront of British media. Sanctions were being skirted by the oligarchs in London. This left many asking - why London over any other European city? What made the city the perfect place for oligarchs to hide their money?

London's position as the most affluent and most populous city in the UK makes it ideal for oligarchs. London offers oligarchs plenty of avenues for investment, one of the most abused being the booming real estate markets. London's real estate sector is easily exploited, with oligarchs able to carry out a few tricks to maximize their financial activity. It is to be assumed that London's most famous neighborhoods, like Knightsbridge and Kensington, are to have some of the most expensive homes in the country. Oligarchs take real estate investment to the next level; instead of simply 'flipping homes' in the conventional sense, they use unique methods to maximize their investments and skirt regulations. For instance, oligarchs will purchase multi-million-pound homes and list them as a second address, even though they will only visit the property maybe once or twice a year. This phenomenon might sound quite innocent, but the mass of property that oligarchs and other foreign business people buy often leaves entire streets empty for ninety-nine percent of the year. Collectively, in London, nearly 22,000 empty homes go unused for most of the year. Another way in which oligarchs take advantage of London's real estate is through the creation of iceberg houses. These are homes that look like ordinary two or three-story houses but have vast basements that span thousands of feet. This means that on paper, you aren't getting a simple London townhouse, but a massive building with huge square footage, therefore boosting the price through the ceiling. The real estate market is also extremely attractive to oligarchs because of Britain's historic non-domicile tax status, which allows a person with their primary home outside of the UK to avoid paying taxes if they have subsequent homes within the UK.

An Architectural Drawing of an Iceberg Home

These methods allow oligarchs and other shady businesses to dump billions into London's real estate market. In fact, it is estimated that Russian oligarchs have pumped £1.5 billion into London's skyline. Once that dirty money has purchased a building, a mansion, a street, or even, sometimes, entire apartment blocks, it is protected diligently by London's regulations and laws. This is what makes London so attractive—it protects those who invest in the city. With this protection comes troves of agents who do their best to avoid regulation and protect dodgy investors, like the oligarchs of Russia. This backbone that supports oligarchs doesn't just pertain to shady businesses but also to legitimate, respected institutions. Oligarchs have access to more power and, therefore, use their connections to bolster their laundering and money-moving operations.

One such oligarch who brought his billions to the UK was Dmitry Firtash. Firtash made billions when he brokered oil and gas deals between Russia and Ukraine. Firtash didn't just spend massively in London, buying an entire block of houses in Brompton, but also found support in some of the most prestigious social circles in the country. Firtash attended multiple gatherings with serving MPs and even met with the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen's husband. Firtash's most notable contribution was to the University of Cambridge, which established an entire course about Ukraine Studies in his honor. He was so deeply ingrained with British political institutions that the Department of Defense, the previous owners of the Brompton buildings, allowed Firtash to only pay a third of the amount upfront, giving him an initial discount of over £40 million. In other countries, this kind of attitude toward foreign billionaires is seen as corruption, something Firtash found out first-hand as he is now wanted by the US for that crime. In London, billionaires are treasured, looked after, and protected to the point where they can escape money laundering laws. England has 'Unexplained Wealth Laws' that allow for the origins of the wealth of a targeted person to be revealed if investigated; however, such a law is rarely used when it comes to shady foreign billionaires.

Not only do social and political institutions of London support oligarchs, but the economic and legal systems do too. Oligarchs simply receive better and superior treatment from numerous legal services, even before they begin embedding themselves in London. A popular example of this was the UK's Visa system. The UK's Tier 1 Visa used to offer permanent residency within the country to anyone who could afford it. No checks, no balances; it is a commodity to be purchased. This not only means that oligarchs can skip the necessary immigration checks ordinary people have to go through, but the Tier 1 privilege extended to businesses too. Unlike in Europe, where strict business and financial laws have to be upheld when looking at potential citizens, the UK's Tier 1 Visa meant that these checks were simply overlooked, allowing shady oligarchs to bring their dealings and money into the country. The strict legal system also protects oligarchs from getting accused of being serial money launderers. There have been multiple instances where oligarchs used Britain's libel laws to silence those who they see as trying to defame them. This was experienced firsthand by journalist Catherine Belton, who faced legal action from three Russian oligarchs who were named in her book, 'How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took on The West'. This book publicized the relationships between these oligarchs and their connections to Vladimir Putin.

London fosters an environment for the suspiciously wealthy. They can exploit systems to squeeze as much profit as possible, embed themselves in affluent social circles, buy their way into citizenship, and then sue anyone who speaks out against them.

The Support Systems that Aide Laundering

While they were briefly mentioned in the last sections, oligarchs' laundering could not be possible without the agencies that help them. These agencies do the legwork while the oligarchs just supply them with their masses of wealth, which are usually dubiously obtained from the Russian Government by stealing from public businesses, private businesses, and criminal enterprises (ranging from national to international crimes). The favorite methods of oligarchical money laundering aren't money laundering at all but instead money washing, also known as Conversion. Conversion is simple; oligarchs use their dirty money in a city with weak financial regulations and simply go on a spending spree. This is why London has gained so many monikers, like 'the Oligarchs' Playground' or 'Londongrad.' It is the perfect place for oligarchs to use their dirty money to buy high-end real estate, football clubs, cars, make donations to universities, or anything that involves throwing massive amounts of cash at something. The only problem is moving that money from Russia to London. British authorities might be lazy on money laundering checks, but the other national banks and international authorities are always on the lookout for suspicious activities. The burden of moving this money sits on the shoulders of the shell companies. This is easier said than done; even though there are London-based agencies to aid oligarchs in establishing these shell companies, having them registered in the UK is a problem. While oligarchs can skirt many regulations in London, the banking system wants its cut and could want to know where the money is coming from. Plus, taxes and fees in the UK can be large. It might be fun to spend in London, but to save and move money between accounts means massive administrative fees. So, the shell companies that will hold the ill-gotten gains will usually be registered in tax haven nations, like Cyprus or the British Virgin Islands. Not only does this allow the money not to be eaten into by legislative fees but also allows for the men behind the shell companies to enjoy a degree of anonymity. These wouldn't just be singular entities but tens, maybe hundreds of different shell companies all sending and moving money to each other, to muddy the trail if any financial investigators come sniffing around. It also stops any Russian authorities from being able to get their hands on the corrupt cash given to the oligarchs.

Now all of this money has been moved around and converted into a foreign currency. The next port of call is Enjoyment, yes, that is the actual name of the step. Usually, the enjoyment part comes at the end of the money laundering process, but for money washing, the enjoyment is an integral part of the method. Oligarchs usually have made a name for themselves and are well known for their business activities in Russia or Eastern Europe. If you're a Russian oligarch, with a net worth of upwards of billions, nobody is gonna bat an eyelid when you're seen courtside at the NBA or bankrolling an entire University Course, in the case of Firtash. Usually, oligarchs ease into their enjoyment spending. First, they will acquire stocks in successful businesses, allowing them to have some plausible deniability if anyone starts to investigate their income. However, once they have invested in a few businesses, oligarchs can live life to the fullest in London. They can purchase whatever they want, whenever they want. This is because these oligarchs are viewed as financial elites, so many turn the other way or don't think to check where the money was coming from. Money Washing, or Conversion, is simply a way of exploiting these weaker financial cities.

An Oligarch Yacht Docked in the UK

The final step is Elitism, whereby oligarchs further their social ventures. This is the meeting with politicians and becoming best friends with the University of Cambridge part of the process. This offers a layer of protective insulation around the whole process. Once you're rubbing shoulders with the Queen and Members of the Cabinet, then nobody is gonna suspect that you're living off criminal money acquired by the Russian Government. This is why oligarchs embedding themselves in these esteemed social circles is so effective. It doesn't just grant them power, but it also grants them the impression of power. If an ordinary person were to up and buy a mansion in Chelsea, there would be great concern because there would be so many questions, with the primary one being: Where did they get the money from? An oligarch's perceived power allows them to escape this alarm; it is simply just expected that powerful people splash their cash, and nobody really cares about where it comes from.

And Then It All Came Crashing Down

When financial sanctions were brought against Russia for their invasion of Ukraine, all eyes turned awkwardly to Britain. For decades, London had fostered the Russian oligarchs who were close with Putin. No longer could the UK shrug their shoulders and go back to enjoying the billions they brought into the city. Instead, they were forced to do something about it. At the end of 2022, all of Putin's closest oligarchs had all of their assets frozen. Overnight, over £2 billion worth of assets were frozen. Any bank or company account associated with the oligarchs was also locked. In the weeks before, there was talk of severing the oligarchs' spending power in London, as many feared they were sending money back to Putin to fund his war with Ukraine. The asset freeze stopped all of this and any hopes that oligarchs had of living their usual extravagant London lives. The oligarchal way of London was over. Due to poor record-keeping, all known assets were frozen, which prompted financial investigators to begin pursuing all hidden or obscured assets owned by the oligarchs, which were many and likely to add on a few billion to the known value of £2 billion. The freezing of these assets doesn't just mean they can be sold but that any investment into the asset was forbidden. Houses couldn't be renovated, football clubs couldn't accept transfers, gardeners couldn't even work on the hedges on any land owned. It was a sophisticated way of sticking the knife in the oligarchs and turning it. Their assets were frozen, and all they could do is depreciate in value. Not only that, but any rental agreements signed by oligarchs are still legally binding. They could be renting an office but are forbidden from using it or even putting lightbulbs in. Instead, the rent, and other fees, are taken from their frozen bank accounts.

As the oligarchs struggle and attempt to find loopholes, asset freezes are usually maintained for a long time. There are still buildings in London in disrepair from when there were financial sanctions against the Libyan Government and any businesses associated with them. For any financial purchase, from a carton of milk to buying a new sports car, they must go to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). Oligarchs have begun to sue OFSI because of the inconvenience of submitting paperwork every time they do a weekly shop. The cases are currently in court, but many don't expect sympathetic outcomes for the oligarchs. Further investigations have also uncovered more hidden assets owned by oligarchs, and the total value of Frozen Goods sits at just over £18 billion pounds.

Protesters Demonstrating on the Frozen Secondary Home of an Oligarch

London's disregard for and incentivization of foreign money drew in dubious oligarchs with deep pockets filled with ill-gotten cash. For decades, they were able to live lavish lifestyles and squeeze every ounce of value they could out of London's real estate. Now, they are paying for their crimes by watching their wealth slowly dwindle—Lamborghinis gather dust, land becomes overgrown, and buildings become vandalized.

This is why Hizb ut-Tahrir have been added to the UK's Terror List (Hizb ut-Tahrir Explained)

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly after banning the group

The UK is at the forefront of Western counter-terror initiatives. Their recent participation in the US-led anti-Houthi coalition seemingly prompted the Home Office to reevaluate the position of Islamic fundamentalist groups operating within the UK. One group, in particular, has been targeted by the UK Home Office: Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, the British arm of the Lebanese-based Hizb ut-Tahrir. So, who is Hizb ut-Tahrir, and why are they being placed on the UK's list of banned terror groups?

Who is Hizb ut-Tahrir?

Founded in 1953 by Palestinian scholar, Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani, the Hizb ut-Tahrir organisation championed the idea of a singular, unified Muslim state. This idea of forming a Muslim caliphate is an idea championed by other Islamic extremist organisations, like the Islamic State. To them, it was the Muslim world against all other religions and beliefs. The group was also founded on the idea that jihad was a fundamental and important aspect of Islam. The group is fundamentally opposed to Zionism and the state of Israel. Such beliefs meant that the group was involved in numerous assaults and failed coups in the Middle East, with the group being linked to failed coups in Jordan and Syria. All the while, the organisation claimed to be one of non-violence. In 1989, this illusion would finally be dropped, when the organisation began to move away from their non-violent approaches and instead become more militant in their efforts to form a Muslim caliphate. Since then, the group has endorsed suicide bombing and other forms of violence against national governments. In 2003, two events would push Hazb ut-Tahrir to its most violent position yet: the US-led invasion of Iraq and the retirement of the group's then-leader Abdul Qadeem Zallum. He was replaced by a Palestinian, Ata Khalil Abu-Rashta, an advocate for Hizb ut-Tahrir to become more extreme in their actions and instructions to their supporters. When the US invaded Iraq, the group became galvanised to fight back against Western intervention in the Middle East. The group would also be extremely involved in the Syrian Revolution, and the following conflicts, hoping that the revolutionary soldiers could platform Hizb ut-Tahrir's beliefs about forming an Islamic Caliphate.

Beyond its involvement in crises, Hizb ut-Tahrir has utilized emerging forms of communication, like the Internet, to spread its extreme platform worldwide. With branches in fifty countries, including the UK, its estimated membership ranges from ten thousand to millions. The group's finances and logistics remain mysterious, with speculations about funding from members' contributions or possibly from national governments like Iran or Saudi Arabia.
The group's extreme beliefs, particularly in endorsing violence against countries seen as a danger to Muslims, have led several nations, including China, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany, and Muslim nations except the UAE, Lebanon, and Yemen, to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir. With a history riddled with calls to violence, it is no surprise that the group has been banned in the UK. However, the actual process of getting it banned in the British Isles has been a long and complicated one.

Why were they added to the terror group list by the UK Government?

Hizb ut-Tahrir supporters at a Pro-Palestine Protest

The group was first put under scrutiny in 2005 when Prime Minister Tony Blair sought to ban the group after the London Bombings. Subsequent investigations found that the group had no links to the terror attacks. In 2010, UK Prime Minister David Cameron promised to ban the group. This was easier said than done. When approached about banning the organisation, UK lawyers claimed that they couldn't add the group to the list of banned organisations as they had not committed any terror-related offences. Discussions of banning the group would not return to the UK political consciousness until October of 2023. The current conflict between Israel and Palestine had ushered Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain to organise Pro-Palestinian protests. At these protests, members of Hizb ut-Tahrir were chanting for jihad which caused great concern among police and politicians. Following the protests, Hizb ut-Tahrir took to their websites to support Hamas attacks on Israel and attacks on Jewish people in other countries. Promoting and encouraging such violence prompted Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to call for the group to be banned. She spoke about the group in the House of Commons in a speech that got the attention of many UK politicians. Days later, Home Secretary James Cleverly began the process of getting the group banned. On January 19th, British politicians agreed that the British wing of Hizb ut-Tahrir should be added to the list of banned terror organisations. In one final statement, the leaders of the UK branch of the group stated that the ban was politically motivated and that they had no credible links to actual terror organisations.

For more articles like this, check out our page. For additional articles about counter-terrorism, click here! 

For an article about their involvement in Operation Prosperity Guardian, click here!

What is Operation Prosperity Guardian? (The Red Sea Crisis & US strikes in Yemen)

In the sphere of counterterrorism, it has already been a monumental year in 2024. A coalition of forces, led by the US, has launched several attacks on Houthi positions in Yemen. The ongoing operation, called Operation Prosperity Guardian, is a military response to the unfolding Red Sea Crisis. In this article, the goals and aims of the operation will be examined, as well as the crisis that prompted the coalition to form.

The Red Sea Crisis

The Red Sea and Suez Canal are arguably the most important shipping routes in the world. Recent events have forced global trade to use the Suez Canal over other routes, especially for trade between Asia, Europe, and the US. The Suez Canal is faster than circumnavigating the continent of Africa around the Cape of Good Hope, which adds an extra two weeks to sea voyages. Recent droughts in Panama have hindered the capabilities of the Panama Canal, forcing traders to use the Suez Canal. However, the Suez Canal is in a geopolitical hotbed of unrest, notably Yemen, a country whose coast sits on the Red Sea.

Yemen has been facing unrest from the Houthi Movement since the 1980s. The Houthis formed out of staunch opposition to Saudi Arabia's influence over Yemen and were galvanized by the US Invasion of Iraq in the early 1990s. The group is staunchly against western powers and their Asian allies interfering in Middle Eastern matters. The Houthi Movement comprises nearly 20,000 fighters who have been carrying out attacks across Yemen, gaining control of a western section of the country.

The Houthis divide Muslim nations, with some, like Iran and Qatar, financially backing the group in its efforts to overthrow the Yemeni Government. On the other hand, countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been supporting the national Yemeni Government in their fight against the movement. The Houthis have been more proactive in their attacks since the conflict between Israel and Palestine broke out, targeting container ships in the Red Sea. Their most notable attack was on a cargo ship named the Galaxy Leader, which was seized and taken back to a Houthi-controlled port in Yemen, disrupting global trade significantly.

The economic impact of the Crisis has already been seen, with businesses turning to aircraft for shipping due to fears of cargo being jeopardized in the Suez Canal. Some fear that if the crisis goes unanswered, shipping companies may increase their fees, leading to higher prices for goods worldwide. However, leading financial experts believe that a major escalation in Houthi attacks would be required to seriously harm shipping companies to the point where it affects the prices of everyday items.

Operation Prosperity Guardian

UK Typhoon Jets launching strikes against the Houthis

Fearing further escalation, the US formed a coalition of nations to curb Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. On December 18th, the US announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, consisting of the US, UK, Norway, Greece, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Australia, Denmark, The Netherlands, and Bahrain, which will be the host nation for the military operation. There are a number of other aiding nations, though they have chosen not to be named as members of the US Coalition.

In the days after it was signed, on the 31st, the US began to carry out military activity in the Red Sea, with helicopters firing upon small boats attempting to capture a container ship. Ten militants were killed, and Operation Prosperity Guardian had officially begun. Soon, coalition nations began to send naval fleets to the Red Sea to begin their protection efforts. The UK's HMS Richmond and HMS Lancaster are traveling to the Suez as this article is being written. The US has already deployed the aircraft carrier the Dwight D. Eisenhower to the Suez, along with three destroyer-class ships, the USS Gravely, USS Laboon, and USS Mason. On January 9th, US and British navy and aircraft shot down 21 drones and missiles launched at them by the Houthis in Yemen, marking the largest attempted attack by the Houthis in the region. UK officials said that further escalation from the Houthis will only prompt more western nations to join the coalition.

In the Middle East, Prosperity Guardian has been met with mixed results. Many from Yemen are thankful for the protection as it is not only safeguarding global trade routes but also stemming the growth of the Houthi Movement. Officials in Yemen feared that if the Houthis gained significant control over the Red Sea, it would only further their efforts against them. However, Saudi Arabia has not been as happy about the operation's success. They have been attempting to normalize relations with Iran, and it is believed a peace deal might be reached on the condition that Saudi Arabia recognizes the Houthi Movement as a legitimate one. Such recognition could allow the Houthis to be acknowledged on the same level as the Yemeni National Government. Saudi Arabia has been fighting the Houthis since the group's inception and leads a coalition of Middle Eastern nations against the group. These negotiations with Iran could put this Operation in jeopardy. With widespread official recognition, plans to attack the Houthis could become increasingly complicated and fraught with international pressure to stop. Attacks by the Houthis have been condemned by the nations and organizations that support them.

What does this mean for the future of Yemen?

In the realm of counter-terrorism, the future of Yemen hangs in the balance. Several factors will contribute to the success and failure of Operation Prosperity Guardian. The Saudi negotiations with Iran will have a major contributing factor to whether the strike against the Houthis will be condemned by US allies in the Middle East. Furthermore, there are already rumours that US officials are displeased with the UK's immediate, and possibly unplanned, counter-attacks against Houthi forces. The situation has already unfolded rapidly in the past month, so it is likely that more developments in this story will occur in the coming weeks.

To read more about the Yemeni Civil War and its impacts around the world, check out another article here - which looks at how Qatar used US lobbyists to infiltrate Donald Trump's cabinets.

Vision Counterterrorism Newsletter [02/04/2023 to 10/04/2023]

It has been a very hectic and tragic week in counterterrorism with many major incidents occurring. Due to the significance of the events some topics will have seprate, more detailed articles written about them (that will be linked within this newsletter). There will still be a brief summary of events within this newsletter, as well as, wrtite-ups of other news from this week. 

Russian Police at the Scene of the Explosion [Source: NPR]

Suspect Arrested in Russian Blogger Explosion

On April 2nd Russian Military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion in St Petersburg. The rather bizarre explosion seems to have occurred during a meet-up with his subscribers. A woman handed him a gold bust of himself before promptly leaving. Unbeknownst to Tatarsky, the gift he was presented with would explode killing him and injuring 30 others. Tatarsky, real name Maxim Fomin, was extremely popular on Telegram, with over 560,000 followers on the app. The majority of Tatarsky's content was geared toward the ongoing war with Ukraine. The blogger was extremely Pro-Russian and would often travel to the frontlines to film with Russian soldiers. Tatarsky himself was from the disputed Donetsk Region, where he fought for Russian occupation of the area. In more recent times, he became a prominent critic of the Russian Ministry of Defence for their lack of success in the Ukraine war. He would chastise the officers of the war calling them, "untrained idiots". (Sauer and Roth, 2023) The location of this fan meetup also has multiple links to the Pro-Russian movement, including to Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Paramilitary Group. The Wagner Group has been assisting Russia with their war in Ukraine. The venue also held a weekly discussion called Cyberfront Z, referring to the Z symbol which has become synonymous with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Financial Times, 2023) All of these things make Tatarsky and the restaurant a prime location for a Pro-Ukrainian terror attack. However, many think that is not the case and that this may have been perpetrated by the Kremlin itself.

Tatarsky was not just a random blogger but had close links to the Russian Government. Last September, the blogger attended a ceremony at the Kremlin, where Putin laid out Russian annexation plans for Ukraine. Tatarsky was filmed at the event saying, "We’ll conquer everyone, we’ll kill everyone, we’ll loot whoever we need to, and everything will be just as we like it". The Kremlin understood the power of social media in the war and organised a task force to oversee the work of pro-military bloggers. Some believe that the Kremlin was responsible for the explosion. In a similar incident, last year, in August, the daughter of a prominent ultranationalist was killed in an explosion. The Russian Government blamed the Ukrainian Secret Service, others blamed the Kremlin. Some suspect that Tatarsky's criticism of Russia's military leadership was the reason for his assassination. Whilst both sides cast the blame onto one another, Prigozhin, the Wagner Group leader, blamed radical Ukranians, not the state government. 

A video posted to Mash, a Russian law enforcement Telegram group, showed the moment Tatarsky was handed the gold bust, which would later kill him. In the video, a blonde woman gives him the statue. She was quickly identified as Darya Trepova and arrested. The Russian Antiterror Committee believed that she was a member of the Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation, an anti-Putin organisation. They claim the foundation worked in conjunction with the Ukranian secret service. Ukraine suspects that Trepova had been tricked into committing the attack by the Russian Government. (Sauer, 2023) Only a brief portion of her interrogation has been released, showing no real motive or reasoning by Trepova herself. There has only been speculation by both sides, with Russia claiming it was a Ukranian terror attack and Ukraine believing it was a domestic terror incident. 

We will keep you updated as this story breaks.

Tensions Reach a Boiling Point on the West Bank

Tensions in the West Bank have reached their worst since 2006. After Israeli police raided a Mosque a few days ago, retributory attacks from terror groups have reached a boiling point. This has resulted in multiple missile barrages from both sides. Clashes between Israel and its Arab neighbours have resulted in a new crisis in the Middle East.

The US Kill ISIS Leader in Syria

On the 3rd of April, the US launched a drone strike in Syria that killed its leader Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri. Al-Jabouri was key in planning attacks in Europe. Despite this being a huge blow to the organisation, ISIS still poses a large threat in Syria and surrounding Middle Eastern nations. Al-Jabouri was also crucial in organising the ISIS leadership hierarchy. (CENTCOM, 2023) With the death of al-Jabouri, the threat of international attacks from ISIS has diminished immensely. Now, the main focus for counter-terror forces in the middle east will be to launch attacks against national ISIS leaders, minimising the chances of an attack within the country. 

Possibility of an IRA attack

According to Northern Irish Police, there has been intelligence gathered that a terror attack is highly possible over the Easter weekend. This Easter marks 25 years since the groundbreaking Good Friday Agreement was reached. The Easter weekend is extremely significant to the terror issues in Ireland. The Easter Uprising is possibly THE most significant event in all of the Republic of Ireland's history. With this, it's believed an attack is extremely likely this easter weekend. 

More information about the possibility of attack and updates to the situation can be found here:

The raising of the Terror Threat in the UK due to the New IRA: https://visionmilitarynews.blogspot.com/2023/04/vision-counterterrorism-newsletter.html

Possibilty of an Easter Attack: https://visionmilitarynews.blogspot.com/2023/04/will-there-be-new-ira-attack-this.html

British Special Forces investigated for Unlawful Killings in Afghanistan 

After years of legal campaigning, the British Armed Forces have started an investigation into the unlawful killing of Afghan civilians and whether subsequent investigations were carried out properly. This comes after multiple legal challenges from victims' families. Their lawyers allege that 8 Afghans were killed by British Special Forces during a nighttime raid. This new enquiry will investigate all matters involving alleged unlawful killings by the Special Forces from 2010 to 2013. 

These investigations are not only based on the testimony from the victim's families but also from a BBC investigation which found the SAS had killed civilians whilst on night raids. The 2022 report found that the Special Air Service, one of the most prestigious military units in the world, would plant weapons on unlawfully killed civilians to frame them. When presented with this evidence, the Ministry of Defence would refuse to investigate further, arguing that the matters had already been thoroughly examined. Now, it seems like that wasn't the case, with a full reinvestigation of all suspected unlawful killings. 

An independent judge has been assigned to oversee the case. Leigh Day, the law firm representing the families, stated that knowledge of unlawful killings in Afghanistan was well-known but never reported to the military police. (Al Jazeera, 2023) To the families this news is bittersweet. For years they have had to live through such an ordeal and fight against this huge injustice. With this inquiry being opened, hopefully, the families can finally have answers. 

Reference List

Financial Times (2023). Russian pro-war blogger killed in St Petersburg restaurant blast. Financial Times. [online] 2 Apr. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/e0823df3-e5ec-4c44-a111-a0c311e3e107 [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Sauer, P. (2023). Russian pro-war military blogger killed in blast at St Petersburg cafe. The Guardian. [online] 3 Apr. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/02/russian-pro-war-military-blogger-killed-blast-st-petersburg-vladlen-tatarsky [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Sauer, P. and Roth, A. (2023). Russian police arrest woman over bombing that killed pro-war blogger. The Guardian. [online] 3 Apr. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/03/russian-police-arrest-woman-over-bombing-that-killed-pro-war-blogger-vladlen-tatarsky.

U.S. Central Command. (2023). Strike Kills ISIS Leader in Syria. [online] Available at: https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3350738/strike-kills-isis-leader-in-syria/#:~:text=TAMPA%2C%20Fla. [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

www.aljazeera.com. (22AD). UK begins inquiry into ‘unlawful killings’ in Afghanistan. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/22/uk-launches-inquiry-into-british-army-killing-in-afghanistan [Accessed 2 Apr. 2023].