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Saddam's men filmed murder of two soldiers in 2003
IRAQI officers loyal to Saddam Hussain filmed their cold-blooded murder of two British bomb disposal officers who were captured after a roadside ambush. An inquest was told that Staff Sergeant Simon Cullingworth, 36, and Sapper Luke Allsopp, 24, thought that they were being taken to hospital for treatment, but instead they were moved to a compound run by Saddams military intelligence. The harrowing ordeal lasted for hours until Iraqi agents killed the pair. The soldiers were buried in a shallow grave. At the inquest yesterday the coroner, Andrew Walker, severely criticised army chiefs for failing to ensure that the soldiers avoided driving into alZubayr, which is known as a lawless town. Other British convoys had already been attacked there. Mr Walker said The failure to adequately plan for and warn of the dangers was, in my view, a contributory factor to their deaths. Last night the Ministry of Defence denied that their commanders had been negligent, saying that members of the convoy had been given a detailed briefing of the risks they faced. A spokesman said: During operations, by the nature of the complex, dangerous and challenging environment in Iraq, no amount of preparation or familarisation will entirely diminish the level of risk. The deaths in March 2003 led to a public row when Tony Blair accused the Iraqis of executing the soldiers. The Army had told next of kin that the men had been killed instantly in combat. Details revealed during the two-day inquest in Oxfordshire appear to suggest that Mr Blair was given an accurate version within hours of the killings. The coroner ruled that the men had been unlawfully killed.
Posted by: Steve 2006-10-03 |
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