Home>News Center>World
         
 

Blair vows probe of alleged abuse in Iraq
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-13 09:21

Video images of British soldiers allegedly beating Iraqi youths with batons and fists were aired throughout the Middle East and Britain on Sunday, outraging locals and prompting British Prime Minister Tony Blair to promise a full investigation.

The tape was obtained by the News of the World tabloid newspaper from a whistleblower it did not identify. The footage purportedly shows a street confrontation in which Iraqi youths throw objects at British soldiers and then flee down the street. The cameraman provides narration and urges the soldiers on.

The soldiers apparently chase the Iraqis, catch at least three and drag them through a gate into a fenced area, according to the footage. The civilians are then pulled to the ground and beaten by at least five alleged British soldiers with batons and fists.

Blair vows probe of alleged abuse in Iraq
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, ponders during the media conference after the Progressive Government Summit at Didimala Game Lodge in Hammanskraal near Pretoria, South Africa, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2006.[AP]
One of the civilians has his shirt ripped off.

The footage then shows what appears to be another group of soldiers dragging in another civilian and beating him with batons.

The newspaper claims the video was filmed in southern Iraq by a corporal two years ago.

The British government said military police were investigating.

"We take seriously any allegations of mistreatment and those will be investigated very fully indeed," Blair said in South Africa while attending a meeting of center-left politicians.

However, he added that "the overwhelming majority of British troops, in Iraq as elsewhere, behave properly, are doing a great job for our country and for the wider world."

"They deserve our fullest support in the work they are doing."

A Ministry of Defense spokesman, Brig. Martin Rutledge, said the images were "extremely disturbing and are the subject of an urgent Royal Military Police investigation."

Basra City Council chief Mohammed al-Abadi said local leaders wanted quick action taken on the investigation and an assurance that Iraqis will not be "humiliated further" by coalition forces.

"We condemn and denounce this criminal and brutal act. Iraqis don't deserve such treatment," al-Abadi said.

The News of the World said it had made exhaustive checks to confirm the authenticity of the latest video.

Arab satellite television stations, including Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, replayed the footage throughout the day and juxtaposed the images alongside pictures from the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.

Most of Britain's more than 8,000 troops in Iraq are based in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, about 340 miles southeast of Baghdad.

"This is good proof of the violations of human rights being committed by British troops in Basra," said Akil al-Bahadily, an official from the Basra office of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Basra resident Muhannad al-Moussaoui said, "We thank God that it comes from their own photography. Many consider the actions normal compared to what happens behind closed doors, which is greater."

A British military spokesman in Basra said the new abuse allegations involved only a small number of the more than 80,000 British personnel who have served in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.

"We condemn all acts of abuse and brutality," said Flight Lt. Chris Thomas, who declined to say which units were based in Basra two years ago. "We hope that the good relations that the Multi-National Forces have worked very hard to develop won't be adversely affected by this material."

Relations between British forces and some Iraqi political figures in Basra have come under strain recently, with some complaints about British detentions of local policemen linked to numerous kidnappings and killings, as well as British security control over Basra International Airport.

Photos of U.S. troops tormenting and humiliating prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad in 2003 caused worldwide revulsion, and there also have been allegations of abuse by British troops.

However, the Daily Mirror newspaper apologized in 2004 after acknowledging that photographs purportedly showing British soldiers abusing a hooded Iraqi had been faked.



USS Park Royal crew await for Rice
Coffin of Milosevic flew to Belgrade
Kidnapping spree in Gaza Strip
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Journalist's alleged killers held in Iraq
   
  No poisons found in Milosevic's body
   
  US, Britain, France upbeat on Iran agreement
   
  Fatah officials call for Abbas to resign
   
  Sectarian violence increases in Iraq
   
  US support for troops in Iraq hits new low
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 日产精品久久久久久久| 怡红院色视频在线| 欧美亚洲桃花综合| 国产一区二区三区日韩精品| 思思99re热| 国模杨依大胆张腿视频流露| 久久亚洲精品无码观看不卡| 爽爽影院色黄网站在线观看| 国产又黄又刺激又爽视频黄| 夫妇交换性3中文字幕| 久久精品a亚洲国产v高清不卡| 看久久久久久A级毛片| 国产日韩欧美视频二区| 一a一片一级一片啪啪| 最近免费韩国电影hd视频| tstye.cn| 顶级欧美熟妇xx| 国产精品一区二区久久国产 | 国产成人精品一区二区三区| www.com.av| 成人午夜在线播放| 五月婷婷婷婷婷| 欧美性猛交XXXX乱大交3| 又色又污又黄无遮挡的免费视| 青青青青手机在线观看| 国产香蕉国产精品偷在线| mikko四只小动物的名字 | 字幕网免费高清观看电影| 久久精品视频久久| 欧美丰满熟妇xxxx| 亚洲日韩亚洲另类激情文学| 没带罩子让他c一节课| 亚洲色偷偷色噜噜狠狠99| 蜜桃视频一区二区三区在线观看| 国产无遮挡又黄又爽在线观看| 天堂中文www资源在线| 国产精品无码翘臀在线观看| 67194成是人免费无码| 国产精品高清久久久久久久| 一本久道中文无码字幕av| 成年人免费观看视频网站|