Fresh Claims About Abuse of Iraqis by British Troops

[chlamor]

Fresh claims about abuse of Iraqis by British troops

Solicitor releases witness statements of further wrongdoing at Basra camp and urges independent inquiry into 'farcical' court martial

Richard Norton-Taylor
Thursday May 19, 2005
The Guardian

Fresh allegations about the abuse of Iraqis by British soldiers, including torture and sexual humiliation, were released yesterday amid calls for an independent inquiry and the description of a recent court martial as a "farce".

Nine Iraqis have made witness statements relating to an incident at Camp Breadbasket, outside Basra, in May 2003. Their allegations go further than those made at a court martial of four soldiers from the 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Osnabruck, Germany, in February this year.

The court martial was told that the Iraqis were looters who had been stealing aid from the camp. Witness statements released yesterday say the Iraqis were employed to help with the UN oil-for-food programme and had ID cards proving they were allowed to be at the camp. They also say officers were involved in the abuse.

One of the Iraqis, Hassan Kadhim Abdul-Hussein, was shown tied to a forklift truck in a photograph taken by soldiers. Describing himself as a fisherman, he says he was at a nearby river when he was taken to the depot by British soldiers. He says his hands and feet were tied and that he was strung up after refusing to sever another Iraqi's finger with a knife.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1487115,00.html

[knowbody0]

1. ive seen the picture.

there are many witnesses in the photo

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Understandable - but NOT excusable or justified

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remember

I think if memory serves me correctly

that the Brits got their asses kicked out of Iraq in the early 1900's - the 20's or so?

Some of them wouldn't be in a "vengeance" mode maybe?

like our beloved "poodle" over there . .

:shrug:

THAT could explain why Toni got into this invasion?

[bennywhale]

4. That is a rather bizarre interpretation of the reasons for abuse

most soldiers probably don't know the Brits were in Iraq a hundred years ago. Abuse has been sanctioned and encouraged from the top from the start cos "The gloves are off".

Anyway the Brits weren't forced out, they created iraq, (funnily enough out of three seperate nations that may descend into civil war). They liked straight lines and monarchy. So invented a country, plucked a Royal family from the population, and fucked off to let what would happen, happen.

you sometimes wonder whether they had bets on how long it would take their imaginary countries to fuck up after they left.

[lumpy]

3. This is old news.

Just now hitting the fan?