The British Army officer who devised Operation Ali Baba, the plan to round up looters at a British camp in southern Iraq, will not be disciplined, United Kingdom Ministry of Defence officials said last Wednesday.
But pressure on the ministry fully to explain the alleged ill-treatment of Iraqis grew.
Major Dan Taylor, who was in charge of the humanitarian aid base Camp Breadbasket, near Basra, told soldiers there to catch the looters who had been stealing food and ”work them hard”.
Lieutenant Colonel Nick Clapham, the main prosecutor, said Major Taylor’s order was unlawful.
Parties leaders expressed their disgust at what Prime Minister Tony Blair called the ”shocking, appalling” images of Iraqis being forced to simulate sexual acts, bound and threatened, allegedly by British soldiers.
The Ministry of Defence declined to say what action has been taken in relation to Major Taylor, his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel David Paterson, or any other officer. Senior defence sources would only say that no disciplinary action would be taken.
In the House of Commons Blair said: ”The very fact that these courts martial have been brought is an indication of how seriously they take them.” He added: ”I hope that people in Iraq do understand that the very fact that we are taking this action and prosecuting people who … may have been guilty of offences indicates that we do not tolerate this type of activity.”
The UK Conservative leader, Michael Howard, emphasised that the alleged acts were not typical of the British Army, but pressed for assurances that the circumstances would be fully investigated.
Lawyers in 40 cases of alleged torture and killing by British forces in Iraq urged Lord Goldsmith, the UK Attorney General, to step up the investigation. ”Our clients are appalled that more than 20 months has passed since the first of these incidents without a proper investigation,” Phil Shiner of Public Interest Lawyers said. — Â