Enquiry opens to probe if Brit soldiers killed Iraqis
6 March 2013 5:17 AM IST
A long-awaited public inquiry into allegations that 20 or more Iraqi civilians were murdered by British troops in Iraq nine years ago opened in London.
The Al-Sweady Inquiry, named after one of the dead men, 19-year-old Hamid Al-Sweady, will examine claims British soldiers unlawfully killed detainees following a gun battle at a checkpoint in Maysan Province, southern Iraq, in May 2004. It will also look into allegations that detainees captured at the same time were mistreated at a British base, Camp Abu Naji, and at a detention facility at Shaibah Logistics Base between May and September that year.
Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) denies the allegations, arguing the inquiry is ‘premature and disproportionate’ as there is no evidence to support the case. The inquiry is being chaired by a former High Court judge, Thayne Forbes.
The Al-Sweady Inquiry, named after one of the dead men, 19-year-old Hamid Al-Sweady, will examine claims British soldiers unlawfully killed detainees following a gun battle at a checkpoint in Maysan Province, southern Iraq, in May 2004. It will also look into allegations that detainees captured at the same time were mistreated at a British base, Camp Abu Naji, and at a detention facility at Shaibah Logistics Base between May and September that year.
Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) denies the allegations, arguing the inquiry is ‘premature and disproportionate’ as there is no evidence to support the case. The inquiry is being chaired by a former High Court judge, Thayne Forbes.
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