Blair appalled by Iraq abuse photos, inquiry starts

LONDON - Britain has launched an inquiry after photographs apparently showed British soldiers abusing an Iraqi detainee, which Prime Minister Tony Blair said, if true, would be "completely and totally unacceptable."

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Sunday a high level investigation was underway, but sources close to the regiment concerned raised doubts over the authenticity of the images.

The Daily Mirror newspaper published five black and white photographs Saturday of British troops who it said were kicking, stamping and urinating on a hooded Iraqi in Basra, southern Iraq, where Britain has around 7,500 soldiers.

The newspaper said Sunday it had no doubts about the pictures' authenticity. "We carried out our own checks and we are happy with them," a spokeswoman said.

The images were published only days after pictures of American troops abusing Iraqi prisoners provoked anger and dismay around the world.

"There is a very high level investigation taking place. These allegations are being taken extremely seriously," Straw told BBC Television.

The Ministry of Defence said the photographs had been given to the military police's Special Investigations Branch to begin an inquiry. "The allegations are terrible," Straw said.

The Daily Mirror said it obtained the photographs from two unidentified soldiers in the Queen's Lancashire Regiment.

But the BBC quoted sources close to the regiment as saying aspects of the photographs were suspicious.

They said the type of rifle and the floppy hats pictured were not used by troops in Iraq, and the type of truck shown in the background had not been deployed there.

"Let us wait and see what the investigation produces," Straw said.

The Sunday Telegraph said six junior officers of the regiment were being questioned at a British base in Cyprus and could be charged within 48 hours.

The Ministry of Defence would not confirm that report.

BLAIR SHOCKED

The images come at a difficult time for Blair, who is considering sending more troops to Iraq to plug the hole left by the withdrawal of Spanish soldiers.

His staunch support for US policy in Iraq has been a hard sell to a skeptical British public.

"Let me make it quite clear that if these things have actually been done, they are completely and totally unacceptable. We went to Iraq to get rid of that sort of thing, not to do it," Blair said Saturday.

"I think in fairness however, we should say that there are thousands of British troops in Iraq doing a very brave, extraordinary job on behalf of the Iraqi people and on behalf of our country to make the country better."

Britain's top General, Sir Mike Jackson, said if the allegations were proven, "the perpetrators are not fit to wear the queen's uniform."

Human rights group Amnesty International said it had warned US and UK authorities in Iraq that captives were being abused.

The British army is already investigating eight soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners, and the US army has brought criminal charges against six soldiers relating to abuses from November and December 2003 on 20 detainees.



- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq