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Six British soldiers held over Iraqi torture photos
EFLMilitary police are preparing to arrest six British soldiers they suspect of torturing and abusing Iraqi prisoners, The Telegraph has learnt. Six junior non-commissioned officers serving with the Queenâs Lancashire Regiment are being questioned over claims that they systematically abused Iraqi civilians during a tour of duty last summer. They are expected to be formally arrested within the next 48 hours. The soldiers, being interrogated in Cyprus by members of the Royal Military Policeâs Special Investigation Branch, face court martial and may be imprisoned if found guilty of any assault charges. The Telegraph has learnt that rumours of a rogue element of Queenâs Lancashire Regiment soldiers, who routinely abused Iraqi prisoners, have been circulating within Army headquarters in Basra since last summer. One senior officer said the alleged abuse began after the murder in August of Dai Jones, 29, a popular captain from the regiment. He died in an ambulance blown up by a bomb. The alleged abuse of prisoners in August and September is being seen as a form of misguided retribution. According to the Mirror, a British soldier who took part in the alleged assault of the hooded man said the victim had been held for stealing. The soldier said: "As we took him back he was getting a beating. He was hit with batons on the knees, fingers toes and elbows, and head." Apparently referring to other such attacks, he continued: "You normally try to leave off the face until youâre in camp. If you pull up with black eyes and bleeding faces you could be in s**t." The soldier added that the prisonerâs eight-hour ordeal ended when he was dumped from a moving vehicle. He did not know whether the man survived. One member of the regiment is already under investigation over claims that an Iraqi civilian, Baha Dawud al-Maliki, 29, died of internal injuries while in custody of QLR soldiers in September. Military police are also investigating another eight claims of torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners - several involving deaths in custody. One senior officer, however, refused to rule out that the newspaper had become the victim of a hoax. "The pictures are clearly posed," he said. "We canât see whether the man with a sandbag over his head is an Iraqi or not." Piers Morgan, the Mirror editor, said he was "completely satisfied with the veracity of the photographs", adding: "We went to great lengths to check them out." He declined to say whether the paper had paid for the pictures, but he added: "Money was not the motivating factor. The motivating factor was a deepening sense of guilt about what [the soldiers] had been involved in, and a feeling that this would inevitably come out at some point." The allegation will have a devastating impact on the reputation of the 300-year-old regiment, based in Preston. Retired Lt Col John Downham, the Regimental Secretary, said: "We are furious that these people, whoever they turn out to be, have besmirched our hard-earned, good name, and let down the many hundreds of soldiers whose outstandingly successful tour in Basra was recognised by no fewer than 21 honours and awards." Posted by: Bulldog 2004-05-02 |
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