UK troops murdered Iraqi man

UP to seven British paratroopers are to be charged with murdering an Iraqi civilian, military sources revealed yesterday.
Senior lawyers have given the go-ahead for them to be brought before a court martial.
The move, to be officially announced soon, will be a huge blow for both the British Government and its army.
It will increase the damage to the army’s reputation and morale caused by the shocking photographs of British soldiers allegedly abusing Iraqi looters. The danger of revenge attacks will also increase.
The troops are said to have become involved in a car chase near the city of Basra.
Witnesses claim to have seen them punching an Iraqi man and hitting him with rifles.
One British soldier has already been charged with murdering an Iraqi in a separate case, and investigators believe there is “strong evidence” of a third such incident.
Army insiders said yesterday it was “unprecedented in modern times” for British troops to be accused of committing murder during an operation.
A few have been tried for murder by court martial in Germany, but those cases involved the killings of civilians by off-duty personnel.
The incident involving paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion is said to have happened in 2003 amid the aftermath of the war that ousted Saddam Hussein.
Military sources in Iraq and Germany said the decision to prosecute followed an exhaustive inquiry by army investigators and top-level consultations.
It is believed four of the men are still serving with the regiment, while three are now civilians.