Iraqis sue UK and Denmark over same abuse claim

SUSPECTED Iraqi insurgents are trying to sue both the British and Danish governments over the same incident, it emerged yesterday.

Law firm Leigh Day, which was cleared of wrongfully hounding troops earlier this year, is representing 18 Iraqis who say Western soldiers handed them in to Iraqi police to be abused.

The Iraqis have also lodged the same claim with Danish lawyers in an attempt to win two lots of compensation – even though UK and Danish troops did not patrol together during the war.

Sources in the Ministry of Defence said: ‘British and Danish troops never undertook operations together. It costs the Iraqis nothing to lodge the claims but it is the taxpayers that pick up the cost.

‘To claim against both governments is incorrect.’

It is understood Danish soldiers sometimes operated under UK command so senior British officers may have signed off on certain missions.

But defence insiders said British troops were not involved in the capture, transfer or detention of the Iraqis.

The MoD in London and the Danish government are now working together on the case.