British Soldiers May Soon Face Abuse Charges

I guess the pictures weren't hoaxes after all. What a surprise!

Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told Parliament that the British military had acted swiftly to investigate allegations of mistreatment by its forces in Iraq and that it was close to bringing charges of brutality against British soldiers in two cases.

Mr. Hoon also revealed that in response to complaints raised last summer by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the British Army in September stopped its practice of putting hoods on Iraqi prisoners.

When one lawmaker pointed out that the British Army had forsworn the use of hoods for years and then asked, "When did the policy change?" Mr. Hoon replied, "The policy did not change and it was stopped."

COULD SOMEONE PLEASE INTERPRET THAT LAST QUOTE FOR ME?

Complete story

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/11/international/europe/11BRIT.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3702139.stm

Abuse photos 'were staged in UK'

from story:>>>>>>>>

The pictures which sparked claims UK soldiers abused Iraqis were staged at a British barracks by Territorial Army (TA) members, it has been reported.

Sources told the Daily Telegraph the photographs were set up in a Bedford MK lorry at Kimberley TA base in Preston.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said it was likely the pictures were a hoax.

End snip<<<<<<<<<<<

I don't know who to believe anymore about this. Every few hours its something different.

And then the standard operating procedure for when it leaks out is to blame the soldiers at the lowest levels who were in fact carrying out the policies created at the highest levels.



http://www.wgoeshome.com

As the Red Cross and Amnesty accuse British troops of unlawfully abusing Iraqi PoWs, Geoff Hoon says he knew nothing (AGAIN)

By Oonagh Blackman

GEOFF Hoon shamelessly tried to cover his back yesterday over the Iraqi PoW abuse scandal.

He blustered, squirmed and backtracked in the Commons as shocking new claims of brutality were revealed.

Damning reports by Amnesty and the Red Cross accuse British soldiers of stamping on prisoners' necks and using "lethal force" against innocent civilians. But the Defence Secretary - taking the same line he used in the Hutton inquiry - declared he knew nothing of the allegations.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=14229071%26method=full%26siteid=50143%26headline=minister%2dfor%2dself%2ddefence-name_page.html