By MAHMET GUL -11.06.10
mahmetgul@rocketmail.com
FORMER defence secretary Geoff Hoon has told an inquiry he was 'deeply shocked' to learn an Iraqi detainee had been hooded and allegedly beaten to death by British soldiers.
Mr Hoon said that, before the killing of hotel receptionist Baha Mousa, who died in Basra, southern Iraq, in September 2003, he had no knowledge that some British troops hooded Iraqi prisoners as standard procedure.'I was clearly deeply shocked that a man had died in such circumstances at the hands of apparently British soldiers; he told the inquiry in central London yesterday, Mr Hoon said he was advised that hooding was lawful only for purposes of 'limited security' immediately after a conflict. He added that Mr Mousa's death resulted in a number of questions that had to be answered. He said: 'Why was this man hooded for so long? What were the circumstances? Why was hooding being used? Was it being used for purposes that were for example unlawful?'
The inquiry also heard that troops used 'conditioning' methods on Iraqi prisoners, such as hooding, sleep deprivation and positioning them in painful stress positions standing with their knees bent and hands outstretched. These techniques were outlawed by the government in 1972 after an investigation into interrogation in Northern Ireland.
mahmetgul@rocketmail.com
FORMER defence secretary Geoff Hoon has told an inquiry he was 'deeply shocked' to learn an Iraqi detainee had been hooded and allegedly beaten to death by British soldiers.Mr Hoon said that, before the killing of hotel receptionist Baha Mousa, who died in Basra, southern Iraq, in September 2003, he had no knowledge that some British troops hooded Iraqi prisoners as standard procedure.'I was clearly deeply shocked that a man had died in such circumstances at the hands of apparently British soldiers; he told the inquiry in central London yesterday, Mr Hoon said he was advised that hooding was lawful only for purposes of 'limited security' immediately after a conflict. He added that Mr Mousa's death resulted in a number of questions that had to be answered. He said: 'Why was this man hooded for so long? What were the circumstances? Why was hooding being used? Was it being used for purposes that were for example unlawful?'
The inquiry also heard that troops used 'conditioning' methods on Iraqi prisoners, such as hooding, sleep deprivation and positioning them in painful stress positions standing with their knees bent and hands outstretched. These techniques were outlawed by the government in 1972 after an investigation into interrogation in Northern Ireland.
'Mr Hoon explained that ex-armed forces minister Adam Ingram had been responsible for the day-to-day issues relating to the treatment of detainees. Mr Ingram admitted last week he was 'not accurate' when he told an MP in June 2004 that hooding was used only for security reasons while suspects were in transit. The hearing was previously told Mr Hoon and Mr Ingram were copied in on a memo revealing Mr Mousa, 26, was hooded for nearly 24 hours while in British military custody.
Baha Mousa with his family.
The 26-year-old Iraqi receptionist was beaten to death on 15 September 2003
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