10 I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS Passion Islam I October 2009
UK troops tortured Iraqi
detainees, Inquiry finds
British troops have violated sleep and food. striking features of the terrible events
international law in Iraqi prisons on When his father, Daoud Mousa, a of BG Main in September 2003 is
numerous occasions through the stout colonel in the Basra police force, that the abuse did not take place in
“banned interrogation methods,” a arrived at the British military morgue a secret location behind closed doors.
public inquiry reveals. to identify his son’s body he was The temporary detention facility (TDF)
The yearlong inquiry into the 2003 confronted with a bruised, bloody and was open to the outside. Many people
death of Baha Mousa states that the badly beaten corpse. must have seen or heard what was
26-year-old hotel receptionist died in “When they took the cover off his going on. Many seem to have visited
UK military custody in Basra, southern body I could see his nose was broken the TDF.”
Iraq in September 2003 after being badly,” he said. “There was blood “This gives rise to serious questions
subjected to humiliating abuse. coming from his nose and his mouth. about the professionalism of the outfit
Baha Mousa’s night shift on the The skin on his wrists had been torn and whether the culture was one of
reception desk was coming to an off. The skin on his forehead was torn impunity. It also gives rise to serious
end on September 14, 2003 and away and beneath his eyes there was questions about the capacity of the
his father had just arrived to drive no skin either. On the left side of his regiment’s members to question and
him home. Then, soldiers from the chest there were clear blue bruises challenge abuse.”
former Queen’s Lancashire Regiment and also on his abdomen. On his legs Baha’s two sons, Hassan, 3, and
raided Basra’s Ibn al-Haytham hotel I saw bruising from kicking. I couldn’t Hussein, 5, are orphans. Their 22-
and took Mousa along with six other stand it.” year-old mother died of cancer six
hotel employees to Battle Group Main Rabinder Singh QC, counsel months before Baha.
camp, known as BG Main. Four days for Mousa’s family and other Iraqis The British Ministry of Defense
later Baha was dead. detained with him, has meanwhile has already agreed to pay a total
He was said to have been subjected said, “This case is not just about of GBP 3 million (USD 4.8 million)
to “conditioning techniques”, including beatings or a few bad apples. There is in compensation to Mousa’s family
being forced to maintain painful “stress something rotten in the whole barrel.” and other detainees who have been
positions”, hooding and deprivation of Singh went on to note, “One of the subjected to abuse.
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