Britain Admits Its Troops Abused Iraqi Prisoners

Source: Reuters

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - Britain's Defence Ministry is to admit that its troops tortured and breached the human rights of nine Iraqi men they detained in southern Iraq in 2003, opening the way to potentially large compensation claims.

The decision follows years of legal wrangling in which the family of Baha Musa, an Iraqi hotel worker who was beaten and died in British custody, and eight other Iraqis who survived the beatings, have sought justice.

The ministry, which will make the admission in the High Court on Friday, said on Thursday it was doing so to try to smooth the process of paying compensation to Musa's family and the eight other Iraqis and end lengthy court proceedings.

The case was one of the British military's darkest episodes in Iraq. All nine detainees suffered 36 hours of violent interrogation before Musa died with 93 injuries to his body, including a broken nose and ribs.

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While the image of the U.S. military in Iraq has been deeply tarnished by the abuse at Abu Ghraib, Britain's smaller forces have largely escaped public censure, though 21 soldiers have been court-martialled for abuses in Iraq.

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A first of its kind 2007 report from the UN Children's Fund said the UK was the worst country in the industrial world in which to be a child, when comparing 21 economically developed nations.

In case you're wondering, the US was second to the last.