Witch-hunt of our war heroes is finally axed
Iraq probe scrapped after lying lawyer is struck off
THE £60million probe into abuse claims against Iraq War veterans has been an “unmitigated failure” and is finally to be discontinued .
MPs on the Commons Defence Subcommittee said the Iraq Historic Allegations Team became an “unstoppable self-perpetuating machine” and should be axed.
The MoD last night confirmed it would close IHAT “by this summer”, with the Navy Police set to take over the 20 remaining cases.
The MPs’ report said the inquiry “proved to be deaf to the concerns of the Armed Forces, blind to their needs and profligate with its own resources”. Troops and veterans were treated in an “unacceptable manner as a result of serving the United Kingdom”, it added. Former Army officer and Tory MP Johnny Mercer, who led the parliamentary investigation into IHAT, said: “Throughout this process, there has been an almost total disregard for the welfare of soldiers and their families... and a repeat of IHAT must never be allowed to happen.
“The MoD must take responsibility. It could have discriminated between credible and non-credible cases, yet it lacked the will to do so.”
The report said: “While the cost to the taxpayer is significant, the psychological cost to individual soldiers is greater.”
Exploitation by law firms saw the caseload rocket to more than 3,500, despite many having no credible evidence. Not a single prosecution has been secured.
Most were generated by law firms PIL and Leigh Day. Lawyer Phil Shiner, who ran PIL, was struck off last week after he acted dishonestly in bringing murder and torture claims against veterans.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: “It was the MoD that supplied the main evidence that got Phil Shiner struck off for making false allegations against our armed forces. Exposing his dishonesty means many more claims he made can now be thrown out and the beginning of the end for IHAT.”