· Defence secretary promises further inquiry
Richard Norton-Taylor
Saturday January 26, 2008
The Guardian
Serious failings in army leadership, planning and training - particularly about treating civilians in an occupied country - led to the abuse of Iraqis by British soldiers, a Ministry of Defence investigation has found.
Soldiers were not told about their obligations under international law or about a specific ban on hooding imposed by the government 36 years ago, said the report by Brigadier Robert Aitken, the army's director of army personnel strategy. Troops were given "scant" information on how to treat civilian detainees and needed "a better understanding between right and wrong".
His report, released yesterday, is a severe indictment of the overall failure to plan for the invasion and its aftermath. It was ordered after a string of cases alleging ill-treatment by British troops, notably the death of Baha Mousa, a Basra hotel receptionist, in September 2003.
Continued . . .
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