Soldier 'too afraid to tell truth' on Baha Mousa
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Independent Minds
A former British soldier has described for the first time how he saw two fellow servicemen beating and kicking a helpless Iraqi prisoner, shortly before he died.
The death of Baha Mousa, a hotel receptionist, has for years cast a shadow over the reputation of the British army, producing the first case in which a British soldier, Corporal Donald Payne, confessed to a war crime.
Yesterday, Garry Reader, a former private in the Queen's Lancashire Regiment who served in Basra, told a public inquiry he thought that Corporal Payne and another soldier, Private Aaron Cooper, were to blame for Baha Mousa's death.
He said that he had kept quiet about what he had seen up to now, withholding part of the truth in previous witness statements, because he was frightened of Corporal Payne and because he feared that speaking out would damage his future in the army.
Baha Mousa, the father of two young children, died a day after he was arrested by British troops in a hotel in Basra. He was found to have 93 injuries. In 2006, Corporal Payne was dismissed from the army and sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to mistreating a civilian.
Six other soldiers who faced the court martial were all cleared. Last year, the then Defence Secretary, Des Browne, ordered a public inquiry into Mr Mousa's death.
Giving evidence yesterday, Mr Reader said he had seen Mr Mousa, handcuffed but not wearing a sandbag hood over his head like the other prisoners.
"He looked dazed and didn't seem to me to be aware of anything around him. I don't believe he was a threat. I do not even believe he was trying to escape. I just think he was injured and wanted to get help," he said.
"Payne and Cooper were shouting, 'get on the fucking floor'. I saw them struggling with him. One of them – I cannot remember which one – was trying to get the sandbag on his head. Baha Mousa was struggling and he seemed to be trying to break free. I saw Payne and Cooper kicking and hitting Baha Mousa, trying to get him in the room."
He added: "I believe that Corporal Payne and Private Cooper caused the death of Baha Mousa as I have described above."
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Comments
This is the puke-making reality behind the tales of valour talked-up by that wanker Bob Ainsworth and the traitor Dickless Dannatt.
The men who did this should hang.
How the inquiry can clear all of the men that were in the room when a man is beaten to death, is astounding.
So what next, did these Iraqi's mutilate their own corpses?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/p
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb20
I do not condone the actions taken to Baha Mousa but the true horrors of war affects minds like no other medium.
Just as a small example how would you feel if a drunken driver mowed down your nearest and dearest would you be annoyed or forgive that driver?
Now multiply that fiftyfold and you will be near the feelings of this particular soldier. Only a small minority retaliate in this way and the remainder are collected and disciplined in their reactions.
Once you have experienced the evil conditions of war the memories stay with you throughout your lifetime and many years afterwards you still wake up in a cold sweat
Bullshit! You're defending the murder of an innocent man by a pack of uniformed THUGS.
I hope they rot in hell, and take you along with them for company, you gutless twonk.
If you ever get there I suggest you sign on in the regular army for a fifteen year stint and get some battle conditions under your belt. However I have no doubt it will be you who is the gutless little oink and too scared to face the realities of the life of one of our young warriors. I speak from experience
If you care to re-read my words I said I did not condone the actions of Gary Reader Iwas attempting to point out that military life is so difficult to understand to the ordinary man in the street so please engage your tiny brain into operating mode before putting your keyboard to use.
You TWONK
Heres the thing, there are good and bad people in every discipline, obviously. Those men stopped being soldiers, and became murderers. They should be strung up and made an example of. Not 1 measley year in prison for taking an innocent defenseless life.
Your appeal that the environment is what made them crazy is the best argument Ivve heard for pulling them out all together. I hope thats what you meant instead of simply passing the responsibility over to the environment.
The animals who did this should be locked up for good-they are a danger to society if they behave this aggressively
p. bloomberg
old man
glendale, ca