The BBC’s Mishal Husain refused to let Robert Jenrick off the hook with his recent claim that the UK’s special forces are killing, not capturing, terrorists.
The Tory leadership candidate alleged in a social media video this week that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – which he is campaigning to leave – influences what happens on the battlefield.
He said: “Our special forces are killing rather than capturing terrorists, because our lawyers tell us if they’re caught, the European Court will set them free.”
Interviewing the former immigration minister on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Tuesday, Husain asked Jenrick for details around his claim: “Where are our special forces carrying out such killings?”
Jenrick sidestepped the question, and claimed he was making the same point as the former defence secretary Ben Wallace has previously made – that what happened on the field was being impacted by the ECHR.
But, as Husain pointed out, Wallace told The Telegraph only that “we are more often than not forced into taking lethal action,” not that it was worth scrapping the ECHR.
So she steered him back to his comments, asking: “Do you know this has happened or is happening now? Because you stated it in very bold terms in that video.”
Jenrick said that Wallace was saying there are instances were the ECHR is “influencing or leading” decision-makers to take lethal action and calling in a drone strikes.
“You reduced that to a very specific and stark phrase; you said our special forces are killing rather than capturing terrorists,” Husain reminded him.
“Mishal, this is a very serious and stark situation,” he began again, adding that he was not “accusing the special forces but defending them”.
But Husain kept asking if it was actually happening, and said: “Why did you say those words?”
Jenrick said: “What I don’t want to see is our human rights apparatus impacting the ability of our armed forces to take the most sensible decisions for their safety.”
“You could have chosen your words more carefully,” the BBC presenter pointed out.
“I don’t agree, Mishal,” Jenrick said. “The point I was making was absolutely correct, it was backed up by the interview with the former defence secretary,”
“But you can’t back up now [the claim] that our special forces are killing rather capturing terrorists?” Husain asked.
The Tory leadership candidate just said he was not going to elaborate on particular cases.
Jenrick has also faced backlash from his rivals over these comments.
James Cleverly said he was not “comfortable” repeating Jenrick’s claims, and that “our military do not murder people.”
Another leadership hopeful, Tom Tugendhat, said: “I think what he said is wrong and I’m afraid demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of military operations and the law of armed conflict.”