Abuse of Iraqi civilians by British army widespread, lawyers claim

Sep 21, 2009, 12:29 GMT

   London - The use of 'coercive interrogation techniques' by the British army in Iraq was widespread and endemic, a public inquiry into the 2003 death of hotel receptionist Baha Mousa was told Monday.

   British troops in Iraq routinely used interrogation methods banned by the government in 1972 and clearly did not think they were doing anything illegal, Rabinder Singh, a lawyer for the Mousa family said.

The British soldiers responsible for the death of 26-year-old Mousa were 'not just a few bad apples,' Singh told the inquiry. 'There is something rotten in the whole barrel,' he said.

Mousa was one of 12 Iraqi civilians arrested in the aftermath of anti-British riots in Basra, in southern Iraq, in September, 2003.

   He died after suffering up to 100 injuries in the course of 36 hours of beating during which he screamed constantly, the inquiry heard.

   Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has apologized for the death and last year agreed to pay 2.83 million pounds (4.58 million dollars) in compensation to the families of Mousa and nine other men.

   David Barr, counsel for the MoD, said Monday the 'appalling' behaviour of British troops had 'disgusted' the army. 'The brutality was completely unacceptable. It has stained the reputation of the British army,' he told the inquiry.    

Phil Shiner, a lawyer representing the surviving detainees, said it seemed 'incredible' that the government and politicians in Britain did not know what was going on.

   'I think this goes to the very top of the civil service, to the very top of the intelligence community, to the very top of the military,' he told the inquiry.

   'And I find it incredible that politicians and the cabinet did not know or ought to have known what was going on.'

In 2006, British army corporal Donald Payne was convicted of a war crime after pleading guilty to inhumanely treating civilians at a court martial. But six other soldiers were cleared on all counts.

   Payne was dismissed from the army and sentenced to one year in a civilian jail. His lawyer said Monday his client hoped the public inquiry, would provide a 'clearer and fuller picture' of the events.

The inquiry was opened at the request of the victims' families in July and is due to run for at least a year.