Hoon to face Commons as disquiet grows

[JoFerret]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1213137,00.html



<<Geoff Hoon will today face intense pressure to explain exactly when ministers were told of the Iraqi abuse allegations, after the Red Cross and Amnesty International declared yesterday that they passed on their concerns more than a year ago.

In his first Commons appearance since the row erupted over the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners, the defence secretary is likely to be asked whether a fellow minister lied last week over the claims.

....

The military police are also understood to have recommended the prosecution of a soldier from the Lancashire regiment for manslaughter of an Iraqi in Basra last September.

....
Six Iraqis have died in British custody over the past year, according to the Ministry of Defence.

....
The key questions

· Why did Adam Ingram, the armed forces minister, tell MPs last week he had received no "adverse or other reports" when Downing Street confirmed it had received the Red Cross report in February?

· Was Mr Ingram lying or did he have a Beverley Hughes-style lapse of memory?

<more>

[JoFerret]

1. Further questions

Why did the government take three months to admit it was given the Red Cross report?

· Why is the government refusing to publish the Red Cross report?

· Exactly what abuse did the Red Cross report uncover?

· What action did the authorities take to remedy any problems uncovered in the report? When was this done?

· What incidents are being investigated?

· Has anyone been disciplined, or is anyone under investigation because of the report?

· How did the Red Cross report come about? Was there an official investigation or was it prompted by a whistleblower?

· Is the Red Cross inquiry over?

[acmavm]

2. Now the British know how to ask questions of their governmental

screwups. We could learn a lot. Maybe they'll come over and help out the commission investigating the 9/11 events.

[Leezamarie]

4. Don't believe that British MPs are accountable

You should see Prime Minister's Question Time, which is a scripted and staged affair worthy of Dubya. All UK politicians are in it together and the so called "socialist left", which was said to be trying to reclaim control of Bliar's Labour party has done nothing to date. We had a few Senator Bird style speeches since last April but that is all. British MPs care only for their jobs and their corrupt, stinking parties they do not represent the public.

[acmavm]

5. Thank you for setting me straight. Usually I hear such straight talk, and

read it in the British press that I just assumed that the British had a far honorable form of government representation than we do. Guess that's what I get for making assumptions.

Again, thanks.

[JoFerret]

7. Only partialy scripted

and still awhole lot more spontaneous and confrontational than the US. I agree that the anti-war sentiment has been shamefully muted. This could change.People all over are waking up from their mesmerized state.

[leesa]

3. 6 have died in custody...tens of thousands have been mowed down

or blown to bits for nothing. Hardly anyone cares about the latter.

[daleo]

6. High tech warfare has made death anonymous

Most people find it hard to get their mind around how evil a cluster bomb's effects are, or that a house full of people demolished by a bomb were killed by someone who simply pushed a button. But they can grasp how evil siccing a vicious dog on a helpless naked person is. So, ironically, it is images of the latter which are more likely to stop the war.

[JoFerret]

8. It has....but it is not a new phenomenon

Think WW1.