- Two British soldiers were convicted on Wednesday of abusing
detainees in Iraq in a case echoing the Abu Ghraib scandal involving US
troops.
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- At the end of a 20-month investigation and five-week
court martial in Osnabruck, Germany, Corporal Daniel Kenyon was found guilty
of failing to report that men under his command had forced prisoners to
simulate sex acts. He was cleared of helping stage photographs.
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- "We know that he knew two Iraqis were stripped naked
and simulating oral sex while others (soldiers) were there and laughing,"
Judge Advocate Michael Hunter told the court while summing up the evidence.
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- Lance Corporal Mark Cooley was convicted of suspending
a trussed-up man from the prongs of a forklift truck and Cpl Kenyon was
convicted of failing to report that incident. L Cpl Cooley was also convicted
of simulating punching a detainee.
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- The convictions are embarrassing for the government,
which has stressed the good record of British troops in Iraq and their
low-key presence there. The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on
the cases because the two soldiers are still awaiting sentencing.
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- When the revelations were made public, they were condemned
by General Sir Michael Jackson, chief of the general staff. He said at
the time: "Where there is evidence of abuse, this is immediately investigated."
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- Earlier in the trial another soldier, L Cpl Darren Larkin,
pleaded guilty to assault for stamping on a detainee. All three are members
of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the incidents took place during
an operation against looters near the city of Basra in southern Iraq in
May 2003.
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- L Cpl Cooley and Cpl Kenyon could each face up to two
years in prison, and L Cpl Larkin faces up to six months. Sentencing is
due on Friday. Photos allegedly depicting Iraqi detainees to simulate sex
acts came to light when Fusilier Gary Bartlam returned to Britain and handed
them to a commercial photo shop, causing lab workers to alert the authorities.
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- When they were released to the media during the trial,
Tony Blair, the prime minister, said he was shocked and appalled, prompting
the defence team to argue the proceedings were a mistrial.
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- Judge Advocate Michael Hunter allowed the media on Wednesday
to report for the first time that Fus Bartlam had pleaded guilty to taking
the pictures and aiding in the forklift incident. He received an 18-month
sentence at an earlier trial.
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- More severe charges against him were dropped and Fus
Bartlam became the key witness against other soldiers for the sex abuse
pictures. Charges of indecent conduct against L Cpl Larkin for ordering
detainees to strip naked were dropped for lack of evidence.
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- Fus Bartlam said Cpl Kenyon was present when the men
were forced to simulate oral and anal sex. But there was no other evidence
Cpl Kenyon was there and the jury of seven officers cleared him of indecent
conduct.
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- © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005.
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- http://news.ft.com/cms/s/acc0af64-85dc-11d9-9011-00000e2511c8.html
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