[News] Britain's Abu Ghraib

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4185719.stm


     British Army Chief Condemns Abuse
     BBC News
Perhaps inevitably some people in the media have described this as 
Britain's Abu Ghraib.

-- BBC correspondent Paul Adams

     Head of the British Army, General Sir Mike Jackson, has said he 
"condemns utterly" abuse, as three soldiers face charges of mistreating 
Iraqi civilians.

     Nine charges against the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers soldiers include 
forcing prisoners to simulate sex acts at a Basra aid camp in May 2003.

     Lance Corporal Darren Larkin admitted one charge of assaulting an 
unknown man at the camp but denied another charge.

     Two other soldiers pleaded not guilty at the court martial in Germany.

     Corporal Daniel Kenyon, 33, and Lance Corporal Mark Cooley, 25, from 
Newcastle upon Tyne, entered not guilty pleas at the court martial in 
Osnabruck.

     'Inevitable Comparison'

     The court martial, which is expected to last three to four weeks, 
comes just days after a US soldier was sentenced to 10 years in jail after 
he was found guilty of abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail, near Baghdad.

     Specialist Charles Graner was regarded as the ringleader at the centre 
of an abuse scandal at the jail.

     BBC correspondent Paul Adams said it was inevitable that some people 
in the media would describe the case involving the UK soldiers as 
"Britain's Abu Ghraib".

     But it was important to stress "at this extremely early stage" in 
proceedings that nothing heard so far pointed to "an institutional quality" 
that was a key aspect of the Abu Ghraib affair, he said.

     At the court martial William England, representing L/Cpl Larkin, said 
his client was ashamed of the offence to which he had pleaded guilty.

     He said: "He knows he has brought shame on his proud regiment, his 
name and his family."

Sir Mike would not comment on the case directly, or on 22 photographs 
depicting the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners taken from the cameras of 
five servicemen, which were shown to the court.

     But he stressed that of the 65,000 British troops who had served in 
Iraq only a "small number" had been accused of any mistreatment.

     The general said the court martial's outcome would be studied to see 
if it raised any further issues for the army.

     Sir Mike said: "I have every confidence in the military investigative 
and judicial system," he added.

     The photographs include a picture of two naked Iraqi men simulating 
anal sex with their thumbs raised to the camera and a photograph of two 
Iraqi men simulating oral sex.

     'Not Guilty'

     The offences are alleged to have taken place at the aid camp, known as 
Camp Bread, on or around 15 May 2003, weeks after coalition troops had 
ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime.

     Defence counsel for L/Cpl Larkin, 30, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, 
told the court martial he had always admitted responsibility for the 
"unacceptable and mindless" assault, which he said had "brought shame on 
his proud regiment and his proud family".

     The three soldiers, who face a total of nine charges between them, are 
accused of abusing looters who were being detained at the camp in southern 
Iraq after attempting to steal powdered milk and food.

     Lieutenant Colonel Nick Clapham, prosecuting, told the hearing the 
camp's commander Major Dan Taylor had ordered looters should be "worked hard".

     This breached the Geneva Convention, Lt Col Clapham said.

     "The order to work by Major Taylor was an unlawful one but, even 
though the order was unlawful, had the defendants done no more they would 
not face the charges they face today," he added.

     'Disturbing Content'

     Evidence of the alleged abuse came to light when a set of photographs 
were left for processing at a shop in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

     A developer called police because she was "disturbed by the content".

     "It cannot be said that these photographs are of incidents that are 
anything other than shocking and appalling," Lt Col Clapham told the court.

     The charges also include two relating to the alleged placing of a 
detainee on the forks of a forklift truck.

     If found guilty, the trio, who are stationed at a British army base in 
Osnabruck, northern Germany, could be jailed and discharged from the army.

     They are being tried before Judge Advocate Michael Hunter and a panel 
of British officers.

     The case has been adjourned until Wednesday morning.


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