LONDON // A public inquiry opened in London yesterday into claims that up to 20 Iraqis were unlawfully killed and others tortured by British troops after a firefight in 2004.
The inquiry, chaired by a retired High Court judge, got under way less than 24 hours after the armed forces minister, Bill Rammell, announced a wide-ranging investigation into all allegations of abuse by UK forces after the 2003 invasion.
It means that there will now be three separate inquiries going on simultaneously into claims that British troops ill-treated and even murdered Iraqi prisoners, prompting fears that the glut of investigations could undermine the reputation of the country's armed forces.
The first of the three inquiries - into the 2003 death of Baha Mousa, a Basra hotel worker - started last July and is still continuing. A post-mortem examination found that Mousa, a 26-year-old father of two, had 93 injuries on his body after being interrogated.
A second inquiry, which held its preliminary hearing yesterday under the chairmanship of Sir Thayne Forbes, is named after Hamid al Sweady, 19, one of those who died during or after the "Battle of Danny Boy" in May 2004.
According to the British, all 20 Iraqis who died during the fierce battle at Danny Boy checkpoint in Maysan province were insurgents killed in action.
The al Sweady inquiry will look at whether or not this was true, or whether some or all of the dead were killed after being taken back to the British base, called Camp Abu Naji.
Sir Thayne will also investigate claims by al Sweady's uncle and five other Iraqis who say they were abused by British troops at the camp.
Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, has pledged full co-operation from the defence ministry. He said: "Over 120,000 British troops have served in Iraq and the conduct of the vast majority has been of the highest order. Although there have been instances of misconduct, only a tiny number of individuals have been shown to have fallen short of our high standards.
"Allegations of abuse are, however, taken very seriously. The inquiry will, of course, have the full support of the ministry of defence."
Ministers and the military have always denied any ill-treatment of prisoners in the wake of the Battle of Danny Boy but the government was forced by the courts to set up a public inquiry.
In a ruling last year, the High Court said the government had failed to meet its obligations under the European Human Rights Act for a timely and independent investigation for alleged wrongdoing by "agents of the state".
The al Sweady inquiry got under way shortly after Mr Rammell had not only announced a wide-ranging investigation into all allegations of mistreatment in Iraq, but had also revealed that training for British soldiers was to be improved to avoid abuse of civilian detainees.
He said the investigation by his ministry's Iraq Historic Allegations Team would clear up "once and for all" dozens of other complaints from lawyers representing former detainees.
"Fighting amongst the people and under judgment of the people in very difficult circumstances has become the norm, and it is increasingly likely to be that way," Mr Rammell said.
"How our forces operate in a cluttered and confusing environment will impact on support from civilians in theatre and support at home.
"More than ever before, the abuse of detainees, mistreatment of civilians and the unnecessary destruction of property or livelihood and tragic loss of civilian life - are not only wrong but self-defeating."
Mr Rammell insisted that there was "no evidence whatsoever of a culture of widespread abuse of detainees by British service personnel" during the occupation of Iraq.
He said that, if the Iraqis' claims being investigated by the al Sweady inquiry were true, British troops would have had to have been involved in a "massive conspiracy".
The minister said he had ordered a wide-ranging investigation because dealing with individual abuse claims on a case-by-case basis was proving "slow and frustrating".
Mr Rammell said: "My greatest fear is that uncertainty created by these unproven allegations risks unfairly undermining the reputation and achievements of our armed forces. The time has come to deal with them once and for all."
However, lawyers for about 60 Iraqis claiming maltreatment by UK forces yesterday expressed their dissatisfaction at the investigation announced by Mr Rammell, as it will be conducted by Ministry of Defence personnel, rather than under the auspices of an independent, public inquiry.
@Email:dsapsted@thenational.ae
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'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
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England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Drishyam 2
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Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
Specs
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Range: Up to 610km
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North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
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South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
