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Illegal torture by British soldiers in Iraq was carried out not by just "a few bad apples" but the whole barrel was rotten, a public inquiry heard today.
Conditioning techniques outlawed by Edward Heath's government in 1972 were used on Iraqi civilian Baha Mousa and others, the inquiry was told.
They included "stealth or clean torture" - hooding, stress positions, sleep deprivation and white noise - used by democracies subject to law and public scrutiny because it never left a physical mark, the inquiry in London heard.
Hotel receptionist Mr Mousa, 26, died in Basra in September 2003 in British military custody. He sustained 93 injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken nose, being held by the Queen's Lancashire Regiment.
Rabinder Singh QC, representing Mr Mousa's family and other Iraqi detainees, said safeguards to protect their human rights were also ignored. Yet this was not by accident "but by design, after consideration by lawyers, ministers and Attorney General Lord Goldsmith himself". Senior officers, military police and the Red Cross visited Mr Mousa and others but none stopped the abuse. "The prisoners were never tried on any offence," Mr Singh continued.
"This case is not just about beatings by a few bad apples, there's something rotten in the whole barrel. Conditioning is a euphemism for torture." The inquiry has already heard how troops abused Mr Mousa and fellow detainees, including forcing one to dance like Michael Jackson. Corporal Donald Payne, who was caught on film screaming obscenities at hooded prisoners, became the first member of the British Army to be convicted of a war crime. He pleaded guilty in September 2006.
The Ministry of Defence agreed in July last year to pay £2.83million compensation to the families of Mr Mousa and nine Iraqi detainees. Mr Singh read a witness statement of Mr Mousa's last moments: "I heard him scream, 'Oh my God, I'm going to die.' I could hear soldiers shout. Then the screaming stopped. I didn't see or hear him again."
David Barr, representing the MoD, repeated the official apology for "appalling" behaviour of British soldiers in a case which has "disgusted" the Army. The inquiry continues.
Reader views (14)
So Andy, you'll have no problem with British troops being tortured then - after all it's just to get information.
- Barry, Beford England, 22/09/2009 08:12
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Ignorant, brain washed thugs. The average squaddie.
- Ray Jarvis, marlborough USA, 22/09/2009 04:11
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These are, as yet, unevidenced claims made by people with 2.83 million reasons to make them. Hear all the evidence and then decide, that's what the public inquiry should be doing and so should we all.
- Matthew, London, UK, 22/09/2009 00:34
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What on earth would annie of croydon know of the 'crap' British soldiers have to take. Not only from their enemies and their own crooked politicians. But now from over protected idiots like her.
- Bill Dolan, Greymouth, New Zealand, 21/09/2009 22:11
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UK Services should not be there in the first place, what gives this country the right to democratise? others when we are unable to sort out our own problems at home.
- John O'Meara, London, 21/09/2009 21:44
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I am ashame to be british
- Emma, london, UK, 21/09/2009 21:19
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Information however extracted saves lives!
- Andy, sussex, 21/09/2009 15:53
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thats why British soldiers are returning home in bodybags.
- Muzzi, london, 21/09/2009 15:41
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I read another story in your paper where a young teacher was jailed for over a year for a "lesbian affair" with a teenage pupil, and then I discover that this piece of work received a year for his war crimes.
I think there is little or no justice any more. How come w want war criminals executed if they come from another country and yet our own get less than somebody who has the misfortune to fall in love with somebody who is too young
- Andy Gorman, Rochdale England, 21/09/2009 15:38
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The soldiers involved are a disgrace to the Army. I believe that the knowledge of the abuse went far higher up the chain of command than a Corporal and that there are some people still in the service that should have been jailed.
- Carl, London, 21/09/2009 15:29
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What Bush has done to tarnish the reputation of the USA, around the world, Blair has done for the UK, perhaps, even worse, as nobody likes the bully's mate!(in most cases stunted, with an inferiority complex) Anyway, now that our reputation is in the gutter, perhaps our politicians will cease to preach to other countries about how they ought to run their countries, and, get their own back yard in order first! One other thought that comes to mind, is, the countries who place themselves on the highest pedestals, preaching humanity, and, morality, are the greatest practicioners of what they are preaching against! (USA., UK., Israel etc.,) Still, we are talking about politicians, so, it would be foolish to expect anything from them other than cant, and, hypocrisy!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London., 21/09/2009 15:21
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More half truths and innuendo being passed off as an enquiry? Little substance here but lots of hearsay? This would be thrown out as hearsay in a proper Court.
- James Macleod Ritchie, Oyster Bay Cove, 21/09/2009 15:01
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If they were dragging them in off the street just for something to do these accusations would make sense. They weren't, so they don't.
I don't know all the in's and out's of the story (any more than anyone else reading this article) but I do know that only extremes are used to 'prove' such court cases, and that everyone is lumped in together, as in "a barrel of bad apples", in the accusations just to paint the 'victims', who are apparently every Iraqi who ever came into contact with the entire British Army in this instance, whiter than white.
The truth, as always, hovers somewhere in the middle. And given the level of violence being practiced by the insurgents on those they are supposedly fighting for, I'm being pretty generous in holding the dividing line 'somewhere in the middle'!
- Rogan, Irving, 21/09/2009 14:41
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This just disgusts me, these soldiers were nothing but a bunch of hooligan evil animals, it just appalls me, they should get a heavy sentence,not fit to be in the Army, and its not just a few apples as the QC said its the whole barrel thats rotten.
- Annie, croydon, 21/09/2009 14:18
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