Amnesty report lists 37 'disputed' killings by UK
forces

Hanan Matrud, an eight-year-old girl shot dead by
British troops in Basra. She is one of 37 Iraqi
civilians killed in disputed circumstances by UK
soldiers. Today, an independent report into all these
deaths presents new problems for the allies, already
reeling from allegations of torture and abuse

By Kim Sengupta and Cahal Milmo
11 May 2004

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=520103

Hanan Matrud was playing with three friends when a
British Army Warrior armoured vehicle pulled up near
her home in a village in southern Iraq. As they ran
forward to see what was going on, a shot rang out.

The girl, eight years old, was hit in the stomach with
a rifle round. She was taken to the hospital, and had
emergency surgery. She died the next day.

There is little dispute that a British soldier was
responsible. To her family and neighbours,
it was cold-blooded murder.
The Army says she was probably hit when a warning shot
was fired to disperse a stone-throwing mob. An inquiry
has proved, the Army says, that the soldiers were not
at fault.
Hanan was a "very unfortunate casualty of war". That
conclusion is contradicted by a witness, Mizher
Yassin, who claims the troops were under no threat.
He says Hanan was standing in an alley about 60 to 70
metres from the armoured car when a soldier aimed and
fired a shot.

A report issued today by Amnesty International claims
the shooting of Hanan, on 21 August 2003 at Karmat
Ali, was one of 37 deaths of civilians in incidents
involving British forces. It says those who died posed
no apparent threat.

The report claims many of
these cases have not been properly investigated and
inquiries launched by the Royal Military Police have
been secretive. Kate Allen, Amnesty's UK director,
said: "Killings by UK forces, in situations where they
should not be using lethal force, are examined in
secrecy.

"Instead of the Army deciding whether to investigate
itself when civilians are killed, there must be full,
impartial and civilian-led investigations."

The report follows a further round yesterday of heated
recriminations and accusations of torture, abuse, and
killings of Iraqi civilians by US and British forces.
Alleged systematic torture by Allied forces contained
in two other reports, delivered to the US and British
governments months ago, became public for the first
time.

One dossier, by the International Committee of the Red
Cross, was passed to the American and British
governments in February but kept secret by both. The
other, an earlier document prepared by Amnesty, was
given to the Ministry of Defence in May last year, and
discussed with officials from the MoD and the Foreign
Office the following month.

The controversy over the handling of the issue by the
British Government further intensified with Tony Blair
admitting he had no knowledge of the Red Cross report
until it appeared in the media.

"I have not seen this document", said Mr Blair. "But
let me make it clear to you, my understanding is the
two issues raised by the Red Cross document in respect
of abuses of Iraqi prisoners; there is one specific
case on that issue and those were actually dealt
with."

The new disclosures also left a question mark over the
conduct of Adam Ingram, the Armed Forces minister, who
declared in the Commons last week that he had received
"no adverse or other reports".

MPs reacted with incredulity to claims by ministers
that they had not been shown the Red Cross report.
Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, said
the document had been passed to Britain in confidence
by Paul Bremer, the US head of the Coalition
Provisional Authority, and copies were sent to Sir
Jeremy Greenstock, who was the Prime Minister's envoy
to Iraq, British military officials in the country,
and the military's Permanent Joint Headquarters at
Northwood in London. Officials decided the allegations
against British forces had already been dealt with,
and did not need to be referred to ministers.

The Red Cross report also describes how a 28-year-old
man, Baha Mousa, was abused while in British custody
and later died. Mr Mousa's family have subsequently
received an interim payment of £1,875 from the
Government.

The military has also paid out a further £72,000 in
compensation to 22 Iraqi families to settle abuse
claims.

The Government stepped up its pressure on the Daily
Mirror last night when Mr Hoon said the photographs
published by the paper allegedly showing an Iraqi
prisoner being mistreated by British soldiers looked
"increasingly like a hoax". But Mr Hoon was earlier
forced to admit in the Commons that British troops had
acted illegally in "hooding" prisoners in Iraq last
year.






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