The scandal of IFI

It is disgraceful that the Government has not yet shut down the Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI) unit. It has had plenty of opportunity to do so: IFI opened in 2014. Instead, it has been left free to investigate Major Robert Campbell, a decorated, wounded soldier, whose case this newspaper highlighted yesterday. Major Campbell has already been cleared of manslaughter, related to a death in Iraq in 2003. He is calculated to have been subject to a total of eight fruitless inquiries; no convictions have been won. Why has the Government not brought his persecution to an end?

Perhaps it was being typically, absurdly British – adhering to principles that others have ignored. No other country has allowed its personnel to be hounded, probably on the sensible understanding that it would undermine morale in the field. But in much the same way as the UK for years followed EU rules that others – supposedly more committed to the project – broke, so Britain decided to do the “decent thing” and permit a series of inquiries.

As a consequence, vexatious claims have been tolerated by cowardly bureaucrats. The disgraced lawyer Phil Shiner, who has been struck off over charges that include dishonesty and a lack of integrity, was responsible for the vast majority of the allegations referred to the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, which is now closed. IFI was founded on the basis of cases that also include those brought by Shiner’s firm.

The Defence Secretary needs to act, and could start by simply cutting off Government funds to IFI. Tory ministers have repeatedly spoken of the need to end witch-hunts against the men and women in uniform, and yet the witch-hunts continue. There is no excuse.