Reid defends soldier prosecutions

Wednesday, 20 July 2005 12:00 AM

Defence secretary John Reid has defended the decision by the attorney general to prosecute British soldiers with the war crime of inhuman treatment of prisoners in Iraq.

Lord Goldsmith last night announced that 11 soldiers were to be brought before courts martial charged with, variously, offences in relation to the death of two detainees, inhumane treatment of detainees, and neglecting their duty.

The move comes just a week after senior military figures warned the government during a debate in the House of Lords that morale in the army was being damaged by the number of investigations being brought against soldiers.

However, Dr Reid last night defended the attorney general's decision to prosecute, saying that any suggestion of abuse must be investigated.

"I, along with the chiefs of staff, am very proud of the role British armed forces play in the world. They do an exceptional job in very difficult circumstances and operate to the very highest standards, as the British public rightly expects," he said.

"This is precisely why, if there are allegations that UK armed forces personnel have failed to maintain these high standards, they should be properly investigated and, if appropriate, prosecutions should be brought."

The first set of charges relates to incidents in Basra in September 2003. Corporal Donald Payne, 34, of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, is charged with the manslaughter of Baha Da'oud Salim Musa, the inhuman treatment of detainees and perverting the course of justice.

Two other members of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment - lance corporal Wayne Crowcroft, 21, and private Darren Fallon, 22 - are charged with inhumane treatment of persons, while sergeant Kelvin Stacey, 28, also of the regiment, is charged with assault.

The commanding officer of the regiment in Basra, colonel Jorge Emmanuel Mendoca, 41, faces charges of negligently performing his duty.

A further two soldiers, warrant officer Mark Lester Davies, 36, and major Michael Edwin Peebles, 34, both of the Intelligence Corps, are charged with negligently performing a duty.

The second set of charges relates to incidents in Basra in May 2003, in which four soldiers alleged punched and kicked a group of four looters before forcing them into the Shat al-Basra canal. One of those, Ahmed Kareem, could not swim and drowned.

All but one of the four soldiers have been named, as sergeant Carle Nicholas Selman, 38, of the Scots Guards, guardsman Martin McGing, 21, of the Irish Guards, and guardsman Joseph McCleary, 23, also of the Irish guards.

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