ARMY’S FURY AT IRAQ STITCH-UP
Chilcot report could be used to prosecute British troops for war crimes – but Blair WON’T face charges
SOLDIERS last night told of their anger and disgust that the Chilcot report into the Iraq war could be used to prosecute British troops – while Tony Blair escapes scot-free. Prosecutors in The Hague, who usually try dictators over genocide, confirmed that they would examine the 2.6millionword report for evidence of war crimes by British troops.
But the International Criminal Court (ICC) said the former prime minister would not face charges, even if he is found to have duped Parliament into backing the 2003 invasion that cost the lives of 179 British personnel and tens of thousands of civilians.
It raises the grim prospect of individual soldiers being hounded as the former Labour leader, who made misleading claims about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction, evades justice.
The Daily Mail has campaigned to end the relentless witch-hunt against British soldiers facing multiple probes into incidents from more than a decade ago.
Sir John Chilcot’s report, which has taken seven years and cost more than £10million, will
be published on Wednesday. it is expected to strongly criticise Mr Blair’s role, including misuse of intelligence to bolster his case for war.
the iCC is already probing more than 1,000 allegations that UK forces tortured and mistreated iraqi prisoners.
it means soldiers who have been cleared by UK courts could still face the ordeal of war crimes trials.
sergeant Kevin Williams, who went through 12 years of hell before being cleared of shooting dead an iraqi, said: ‘the chance that soldiers may be investigated rather than Blair is utterly disgusting. soldiers went to iraq based on fabricated evidence that saddam was a worldwide threat.
‘those responsible for fabricating that evidence are at the greater end of responsibility for the countless lives lost in the fight for iraq.’
roger Bacon, whose son Major Matthew Bacon was killed by a roadside bomb in 2005, said: ‘it is outrageous. it is double standards.
‘these soldiers have gone out to do their best for us and here they are being hounded and yet the guy who took them there is not being looked at.
Demi Catterall’s father, ex- sergeant richard Catterall, is too unwell to speak following multiple investigations – even though he has been cleared over the shooting dead of an iraqi in self-defence in 2003.
she said: ‘if anyone should be held to account it should be tony Blair. i’m absolutely outraged.
‘the soldiers simply did what they were told – why should they be held responsi- ble for somebody else’s orders? the fact these men, including my dad, have already gone through questions after questions is disgraceful.
‘i don’t think they realise the mental torture that these men go through when they’re questioned. it affects every single aspect of their lives.
‘these people have done their job, done what they have been taught, their whole lives have revolved around the military, protecting us and our country and the rules that apply. they should be celebrated not punished.’
reg Keys, whose son Lance Corporal thomas Keys, 20, was murdered in an iraqi ambush in 2003, said the Chilcot report should be used by the iCC as a basis for action against Mr Blair.
Colonel richard Kemp, who commanded troops in Afghanistan, said: ‘it may be easier politically but is certainly wrong to focus any investigations on more junior rather than more senior people.’
Former scottish first minister Alex salmond called for Mr Blair to face a ‘judicial or political reckoning’.
he said: ‘he seemed puzzled as to why [people] think he is a war criminal, why people don’t like him.
‘the reason is 179 British war dead, 150,000 immediate dead from the iraq conflict, the Middle East in flames, the world faced with an existential crisis on terrorism – these are just some of the reasons perhaps he should understand why people don’t hold him in the highest regard.
‘there are many MPs... who are absolutely determined that account has to be held. [they believe] that you cannot have a situation where this country blunders into an illegal war with the appalling consequences and at the end of the day there isn’t a reckoning. there has to be a judicial or political reckoning for that.’
the iCC announced two years ago that it had begun a ‘preliminary examination’ into claims of mistreatment by UK troops after being handed a dossier by solicitor Phil shiner.
Mr shiner’s firm Public interest Lawyers (PiL) was criticised after the Al- sweady inquiry in 2014 demolished its claims that soldiers murdered, tortured and mutilated iraqi detainees.
the law firm has been responsible for making thousands of complaints to the Ministry of Defence of abuse and mistreatment of iraqis by British troops.
the office of the prosecutor at the iCC said it would ‘take note’ of the Chilcot report, adding: ‘A preliminary examination is not an investigation but a process aimed at determining whether reasonable basis exists to open an investigation. the decision by the UK to go to war in iraq falls outside the court’s jurisdiction.’
A cross-party group is considering using an ancient parliamentary mechanism to impeach Mr Blair for misleading Parliament.
the former Prime Minister may also face legal action from bereaved families who believe he is guilty of ‘malfeasance in public office’ on the grounds that he overstepped his constitutional powers and that led to mass casualties. Mr Blair told sky News: ‘Wednesday is the time the report is published.
‘i have said many times over these past years i will wait for the report and then i will make my views known and express myself fully and properly.
‘i have taken the view, i think rightly or wrongly, we should wait for the report to be published and then i will express myself and i’m not getting into either the politics or the detail of it until i’ve actually seen it.’
WITCH-HUNT AGAINST OUR HEROES