An injunction preventing a former SAS soldier from publishing a book about his role in a counter-terrorism operation has been extended by a London court. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has applied to keep the book from being published in the UK until a legal dispute with the soldier is resolved. The soldier, known only by the pseudonym Christian Craighead, is facing claims that his book violates a confidentiality agreement he signed when joining the UK’s special forces. Craighead received the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, a high military honor, for his actions during an attack by the Somali group al-Shabaab in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2019. The attack killed 21 people, and Craighead claims he saved over 700 people from a hotel complex during the assault. However, the MoD argues that the book contains information that breaches the confidentiality agreement he signed upon joining the SAS. The MoD has sought to block the UK publication of the book, even though it has already been released in the United States. In court, government lawyers argued that Craighead's breach of the contract was clear and unarguable. They stated that the book’s availability in the US was due to Craighead’s own actions, not the MoD’s approval. Craighead did not attend the hearing and was not represented by legal counsel. The judge, Mr Justice Saini, ruled that Craighead had willingly signed the confidentiality agreement and was explicitly warned by his superiors that he could not publish the book. The judge described the MoD’s case as “overwhelming” and suggested that Craighead had committed a “flagrant breach” of the contract, knowing the potential consequences. Craighead previously lost a legal challenge in 2023 when the MoD refused to allow the book’s publication, citing national security concerns. He joined the armed forces in 1992 and served in the SAS from 2006 to 2020. The confidentiality agreement he signed required him to not disclose any information about his time in the SAS without the MoD’s written permission, which has not been granted for this book. Government lawyers emphasized that without the contract, Craighead would not have been able to serve in the special forces or participate in the Nairobi operation.