MoD investigates 'Britain's Abu Ghraib'
Investigation launched into claims UK troops colluded with US soldiers in torture and rape of Iraqi prisoners
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Saturday, 14, Nov 2009 06:31
By Matthew Champion.
An investigation has been launched into allegations UK troops colluded with their US counterparts in the torture and rape of Iraqi prisoners, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
A pre-action protocol letter has been served to the MoD by Phil Shiner, the lawyer representing the Iraqis, who alleged 33 cases of abuse and mistreatment, according to the Independent.
"Given the history of the UK's involvement in the development of these techniques alongside the US, it is deeply concerning that there appears to be strong similarities between instances of the use of sexual humiliation," Mr Shiner said.
The Independent said the severity of the allegations gave the abuse the potential to be "Britain's Abu Ghraib", a reference to the Baghdad prison where detainees were sexually humiliated by US troops, who then photographed themselves carrying out the abuse.
Among the Iraqis being represented by Mr Shiner are the family of Baha Mousa, a Basra hotel receptionist among ten arrested by UK troops in September 2003. A day later the father-of-two was dead, with a post-mortem showing 93 separate injuries including fractured ribs and a broken nose.
The MoD has already paid out £2.83 million to Mr Mousa's family and the other nine individuals, while an inquiry into the 26-year-old's death is still ongoing.
Armed forces minister Bill Rammell insisted last night that the "vast majority" of UK troops in Iraq had "conducted themselves to the highest standards of behaviour, displaying integrity and selfless commitment".
Only a tiny number of individuals have been shown to have fallen short of our high standards," he said.
"Allegations of this nature are taken very seriously, however allegations must not be taken as fact and investigations must be allowed to take their course without judgments being made prematurely."