The first, dated June 23, chronicles the detention five days previously of a Shia Iraqi male in his thirties who was considered to be a “possible insurgent”.
Arrested in southern Iraq, where British troops were based, the man claimed to have been punched in the face, kicked and struck with a weapon to the chest.
British soldier in Iraq - Chris Winter-Defence Images/Flickr
There is no place for mistreatment of detainees and we investigate any allegation made against our troops – MoD spokesperson
Upon medical examination at a British medical facility, it was thought he “likely has a rib fracture”. Processed and transferred into American hands, he then claimed to have been abused by “unknown” British forces during capture.
Although the logs form part of the US record of the occupation, British troops are mentioned on occasions when coalition forces come into contact through joint operations or prisoner transfer.
On another occasion a report is logged in which allegations are made of torture at the hands of British troops the day before, but this claim was not supported by a subsequent medical examination.
September 2
[Victim] states that they dragged him through his house to a plastic water bowl, blindfolded him, dunked his head underwater, held a pistol to his head and then kicked him in the midsection for approximately 30-60 minutes. Claims he did not tell British medical personnel because he was afraid.”
However, the report continues that the detainee changed his story on several occasions and that his injuries – “abrasions on his shins and elbow, as well as an abrasion on his lip” – appeared “uncorroborated with the alleged claims.
The last recorded incident appears three days later, when startling accusations are made. The detainee, who has since been transferred to Baghdad airport for interrogation, claims to have been “struck 4-5 times on his ribs and then choked for 30 minutes”.
As with the previous case, the examining US “physician assistant” reported no sign of bruising or signs of abuse, and the file concludes that the claims was uncorroborated.
The Ministry of Defence said:
“There is no place for mistreatment of detainees and we investigate any allegation made against our troops. The protection of civilians is always at the core of what UK forces do in any operational theatre and any civilian casualty is, of course, a matter of deep regret and we take any incidents extremely seriously.
“The MOD is committed to investigating all alleged cases of abuse by UK service personnel in Iraq. We have set up a dedicated Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) to establish the truth or otherwise of these allegations and to identify any action that needs to be taken. IHAT will independently review claims of abuse to ensure that all allegations are, or have been, investigated appropriately.”
