No justice Red Cap 6 soldiers with little ammo and

THE bereaved families of six Army Red Cap soldiers massacred by a 600-strong mob in Iraq have lost their bid for a second inquest.

Their latest call for justice has been dealt a blow by the European Court of Human Rights. It ruled there is no legal basis for a second hearing.

The killing of the Royal Military Policemen, defending a police station with little ammo and no satellite phones in June 2003, was one of the most notorious incidents of the Iraq War.

At the time it was the biggest single loss of life of British forces under enemy fire since the Falklands War in the 80s.

There are claims that intelligence from GCHQ warned of an imminent attack.

The men’s families have always insisted the deaths were avoidable and senior officers should face disciplinary action for negligence.

They called for a fresh inquest in 2014, branding 2006’s original hearing a whitewash. But this week one dad admitted his son’s killers would never face justice.

Reg Keys, the father of L/cpl Tom Keys, 20, said: “I’ve decided to walk away from this fight. If you don’t it will end up taking your life. I have conceded defeat.”

Retired Reg, 67, came to public prominence when he stood against Tony Blair in the 2005 general election on an anti-war ticket. His first wife Sally, Tom’s mum, died of “a broken heart” in 2011.

He said: This battle cost my wife her life. She never got over Tom’s death.”

Reg, who has remarried, said: “I had three battlefronts – to bring the killers to justice, to get the MOD to accept responsibility for the deaths and to stand against Tony Blair in his Sedgefield constituency and prove the Iraq War was illegal. But I’ve lost all three. I don’t think the killers will ever be brought to justice even though the MOD had their names.

“Many of the officers who were in charge were promoted to very senior positions – cleansed by promotion.

“A battle like this takes over your life and it demands a heavy toll. I have decided to move on with my life.” Despite the l atest setback, John Miller, dad of Cpl Simon Miller, has vowed to fight on until the MOD apologises and admits it was partially responsible for the deaths. Retired accounts manager John, 68, of Washington, Tyne and Wear, and wife Marilyn, 59, were devastated by Simon’s death. He said: “I was at work when I got a call from my wife. The next thing I knew she was screaming down the phone saying ‘no, no, no’.

“Me and my wife have no life. We’re consumed with this, totally broken people. We don’t accept what the MOD have told us. We can’t live without getting some form of justice for our Si. His death totally destroyed us.

“I’ll never give up my quest to have my son’s killers put on tr trial. As far as I’m aware they are still walking around as free men. It has been 16 years so I have to be realist realistic.

“But I will not re rest for as long as I live in trying to get ge them and keeping the pressure on t the MOD to push the case for their a arrest.”

He wa was speaking after the ECHR decision. H He had hoped

new evidence, including claims the Army knew the town was a hotbed of insurgents but failed to warn the RMPS, would force a new inquest. He said the interpreter, the last person to see the soldiers alive, was not called to give evidence at the first inquest, which ruled unlawful killing but did not blame the MOD.

An ex SAS commander has subsequently claimed the Army had intelligence showing a large attack against British troops was imminent. He later said he was told he may face legal action if he produced a witness statement.

Surrounded

John said: “A new inquest would have ve given us the chance to put all the new ew information we have collected since the he first inquest 13 years ago. The only way ay forward now is to seek an independent nt inquiry. I will not give up.”

The killings, one of the most brutal al incidents of the war, happened a month th after then US President George Bush sh declared “mission accomplished” in Iraq aq and when most British troops were re preparing to go home.