Baha Mousa report criticises 'cowardly and violent' British soldiers [View All]

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Gage report cites 'loss of discipline and lack of moral courage' for death of Baha Mousa after 36 hours of detention in Basra

Richard Norton-Taylor and Owen Bowcott | Thursday September 8 2011 11.19 BST

British soldiers inflicted "violent and cowardly" assaults on Iraqi civilians subjecting them to "gratuitous" kickings and beatings, an inquiry into the death of the detainee Baha Mousa has found.

In a devastating indictment of military culture, the retired appeal court judge Sir William Gage ruled that there was widespread ignorance of what was permitted in handling prisoners of war.

Although he did not suggest there had been a policy of systematic abuse towards Iraqi suspects, he deplored the absence of any "proper MoD doctrine on interrogation".

The report at the end of the two-year inquiry contains savage criticisms of individual soldiers and officers as well as damning descriptions of poor internal communications, "loss of discipline and a lack of moral courage".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/08/baha-mousa-report-british-soldiers

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'I had my knee in his back. To control him': theatre tackles the Baha Mousa inquiry - Go behind the scenes at Richard Norton-Taylor's play, Tactical Questioning (video): http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/video/2011/jun/02/baha-mousa-inquiry-tactical-questioning-video

The Baha Mousa Public Inquiry: http://www.bahamousainquiry.org/