GBZ, I was not trying to ignore your thoughtful and resolute stand against unlawful military acts, for which indeed I commend you, but rather trying to point up what I see as an ambivalent attitude to its revelation by others than in the CoC. I'm afraid that its ability to fearlessly do its duty in this regard is poor, which is why it all comes out in your "meeja" circus the way it does. As stated earlier, war is a dreadful thing and hence those who conduct it on our behalf have an awesome responsibility to do it in accordance with the rules, ie UK Military Law. Again as stated earlier this responsibility extends from Monarch to the lowliest private and certainly includes HM Government. That responsibility includes issuing only legal orders and obeying only legal orders. It may well be that steadfastly standing by either or both of these strictures will get one into very hot water. Tough! That's what you're paid for! Of course the higher up the food chain you are the more effect such a stand might have, but as with this case we see time and again the actual doing of these acts is usually at the other end of the spectrum. That is why the first thing you should learn as a raw recruit is the concept of obeying legal orders only and being sure in your own mind what you will say and what you will do if ever you receive an illegal one. As to your:
b. if the Military has lost credibility to investigate allegations of criminal acts, they should be entrusted to an independent body (it would be preferable if that body was not anti military)
I'm afraid that we seem to be in violent agreement. My attitude to Self Regulation is well rehearsed and needn't be paraded yet again other than to say that it never works and this is as powerful example of it as any involving Airworthiness (there, I finally got to the punch line!).