Sky News and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme follow up on a story that appears on the front page of the The Independent this morning which says British soldiers who have served in Iraq may face prosecution for crimes including murder.
Iraq Historical Allegations
The Independent reports that British soldiers who have served in Iraq may face prosecution for crimes including murder. It runs comments from the head of the Iraq Historical Allegations Team, the unit established by the MOD to investigate allegations of torture and unlawful killing in the war-torn country. It is reported that Mark Warwick said he believed there would be sufficient evidence to justify criminal charges. The story is also carried in The Sun, The Express, the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, with the latter paper suggesting that the developments are likely to raise fears among hundreds of soldiers that they could be arrested and charged simply for doing their duty.
An MOD spokesperson said:
The vast majority of UK Service personnel deployed on military operations conduct themselves professionally and in accordance with the law. The MOD takes all allegations of abuse or unlawful killing extremely seriously. Where there is sufficient evidence, members of HM Forces can be prosecuted. It is estimated that the IHAT’s work will take until the end of 2019.
Background:
- The Al-Sweady Inquiry shows that allegations of wrongdoing are not always true. However, it is right that all allegations are investigated and that those against whom there is evidence of criminal conduct are prosecuted.
- The MOD established IHAT in 2010 to undertake independent investigations into allegations of criminality; it is appropriate that any enquiries should go to them for analysis.
Specialised Infantry Battalions
The Times reports that the army is growing a new tier of “specialised forces” designed to train local troops in danger zones such as Iraq and Syria. The article says that the specialised infantry battalions will help to single out soldiers with the potential to join Britain’s tier-one special forces and this could boost recruitment to the Special Air Service at a time when elite military personnel are in increasingly high demand. The new battalions “would be doing what the American Green Berets do at the moment”, a defence source reportedly says.