(UK) War crimes charges tossed for 5 soldiers

[maddezmom]

LONDON - A judge on Wednesday dismissed charges against five British soldiers accused of mistreating Iraqi civilian detainees, but said the court-martial will continue against two other servicemen accused of negligently performing their duties.

The trial at a British army base, now in its 80th day, has tarnished the image of Britain's military with accusations of war crimes because one of the defendants, Cpl. Donald Payne (news, bio, voting record), 35, pleaded guilty to the charge of inhumanely treating the Iraqi civilians, making him the first British soldier to plead guilty to a war crime under international law.

The nine Iraqi detainees allegedly were handcuffed, hooded, beaten, held in stress positions and deprived of sleep for about two days in extreme heat at a British army barracks near the southern Iraqi city of Basra in September 2003.

The court was told that Iraqi Baha Mousa, a 26-year-old hotel worker, died after taking off his hood and trying to escape, leading Payne to restrain him by kneeling on the detainee's back.

The eight other Iraqi detainees were released without charge.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_re_eu/britain_court_martial

[marmar]

1. The UK is becoming more like its former colony every day.....

and that's not a good thing.:scared: