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British soldiers accused of sickening sex assault on
Iraqi boy, 14 Just days after the MoD has to
pay out millions to the father of a man UK soldiers beat to death, fresh claims
of abuse emerge By Andrew Johnson British soldiers forced a boy
of 14 to carry out an act of oral sex on a fellow male prisoner in Iraq,
according to shocking new allegations made about the behaviour of British
troops. The Ministry of Defence
confirmed yesterday that the Royal Military Police (RMP) have launched an
investigation. If the allegations are proved, it would mark a sordid low in the
behaviour of British troops in Iraq, and damage further the reputation of
Britain in the Middle East. The victim, now 19, whom The
Independent on Sunday has agreed to identify only as Hassan, says he was
rounded up with a friend while trying to steal milk cartons from a food
distribution centre. He was whipped, beaten and forced to strip naked. "They made us sit on each
other's laps," he said. "They were enjoying humiliating and abusing
us, I wished I was dead at this moment. Then they made me sit with Tariq...
where I was forced to put Tariq's penis in my mouth. The other two were made to
do the same." Court action is ongoing over a
series of allegations surrounding the British base Camp Breadbasket and
incidents that took place there in May 2003. There have been allegations of
simulated sexual abuse of Iraqis by British troops, but this, if true, would be
the first example of actual sexual abuse. Soldiers rounding up looters as
part of an operation codenamed Ali Baba took photographs of prisoners suspended
in nets from forklift trucks and others forced to strip naked and adopt
simulated sex positions. The photographs caused outrage
around the world when they were published, after a British soldier took them to
be developed at a high-street shop. An RMP investigation led to just four
soldiers being jailed for up to two years in 2005. A number of the alleged
victims, including Hassan, are suing the MoD for damages. The MoD last Thursday
reiterated its official line that abuse was isolated to just a few rogue
soldiers, after agreeing to pay nearly £3m compensation to the father of Baha
Mousa, 26, a hotel receptionist beaten to death by British soldiers while in
custody in a separate incident in September 2003, and nine other Iraqis beaten
at the same time. Mazin Younis, of the Iraqi
League, who has travelled in Basra collecting witness statements of allegations
of abuse, says he now has "more than 80" cases involving allegations
against British troops. "Every single time I
uncover a personal story of torture and humiliation in Iraq, I think to myself
that I have seen the worst there is," Mr Younis added. "Then I hear
the next story. "Hassan shook with emotion
and humiliation as he described to me the treatment he suffered at the hands of
British soldiers five years ago. It had taken constant prompting and repeated
reminders about the importance of detail before Hassan felt brave enough to
describe how he was forced to engage in oral sex with his friend Tariq while
their British captors laughed raucously and took photographs." Such is the culture in Iraq
that Hassan fears for his life if identified. It has taken him four years to
find the courage to talk about the incident, Mr Younis said. He fled Basra
after the incident, giving up his education and staying indoors for fear that
someone may recognise him. Mr Younis added: "There
is, of course, no case as bad as a killing or murder. But the fact that this is
sexual ... It can lead to suicide because it is so humiliating. Hassan fled
Basra because he couldn't face his friends, the people who had seen this. "He left education and is
now unemployed. He has been very, very traumatised. It is the kind of thing
that is very difficult to admit to or talk about. No one expected the British
to be worse than Saddam Hussein." Mr Younis said the more than 80
allegations of abuse will form the basis of a series of actions at the European
Court of Human Rights, as many of them took place outside British bases and are
therefore outside British jurisdiction. Phil Shiner, of Public Interest
Lawyers, has represented many of the Iraqis who allege abuse at the hands of
British troops, including Baha Mousa's family and Hassan. "It should be a
national scandal that representatives of the British state could have engaged
in such appalling behaviour," he said. "I call on the British
government to immediately set up an inquiry into this incident." The Labour MP Harry Cohen also
joined calls for an investigation. "We need to have a full inquiry into
how we keep prisoners. It obviously needs a complete overhaul," he said. An MoD spokesman said
yesterday: "We can confirm that a new allegation has been received in
relation to the alleged abuse of a 14-year-old boy by British soldiers at Camp
Breadbasket in May 2003. "The allegation has been
referred to the Royal Military Police, and efforts are in the process of being
made to contact the alleged victim as soon as possible. "All but a handful of the
more than 120,000 British troops who have served in Iraq have conducted
themselves to the highest standards of behaviour, displaying integrity and
selfless commitment. All allegations of abuse are investigated thoroughly and –
where proven – those responsible are punished and the abused are compensated. "The Army has done a great
deal since the cases of abuse related to the death of Baha Mousa in 2003.
Procedures and training have been improved. But we are not complacent and
continue to demand the very highest standards of conduct from all our
troops." A case to answer Baha Mousa Beaten to death in September
2003. Nine others also mistreated. MoD agreed to £2.83m compensation payout
last week and will hold a full inquiry into the abuse. Camp Breadbasket Prisoners beaten, forced to
strip and simulate sex in May 2003. Subject of damages claim by 11 of the
victims. Abu Naji Twenty Iraqi civilians
allegedly executed at British base in Abu Naji in May 2004. Five survivors
bringing a claim for damages. Jabbir Hmoud Kammash 70-year-old tribal leader is
bringing action over claims he was hooded and beaten during a raid at his home
in Basra in April last year. Ahmer Jabbar Kareem and Ayad
Salim Hanoon Teenagers forced to swim a
canal, resulting in the drowning of Kareem, 15. Kareem's father and Hanoon are
pursuing a claim for damages. Hassan's statement: 'They
enjoyed abusing us' At 7am my friends convinced me
to head towards Camp Breadbasket in order to steal dried milk cartons in order
to sell them on the black market. The hangars were surrounded by a high fence,
though there was an opening in the fence. Next to the fence there was a road,
then a river. When we tried to leave the
hangars via the opening in the fence British soldiers chased us. We tried to
run away but were caught. Some Iraqis managed to escape arrest. I believe some
may have drowned as they were trying to escape the British. British soldiers caught me and
started beating me and others using their vehicle's aerials. They were beating
us very harshly. We were led inside the hangars while still being beaten all
the way. The beating became stronger when we were inside the camp. I was kept
in a hangar along with four other Iraqis. They ordered us to take off our
clothes by gesturing to us to do so. When we refused they continued beating us,
so we had to follow their orders. They made us sit on each other's laps. I was
with one of the detainees, while another two detainees were made to do the same
thing, as in the photos. They were enjoying humiliating and abusing us. I
wished I was dead at this moment. Then they made me sit with Tariq as in the
other photo, where I was forced to put Tariq's penis in my mouth. The other two
were made to do the same. They locked the hangar while we
were inside and left us there with no food or drink till the afternoon of the
day after, when they opened the hangar and let us go. Since then I fled Basra
altogether as I cannot see Tariq again after what had happened, despite the
fact that we were close friends.
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