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Iraq: Troops seek immunity
23/05/2004 18:25 - (SA)
London - British and US troops are likely to be granted immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law after the handover of power in the country.
The Observer newspaper said that British and US troops, already facing criticism for the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners, will be subject only to their respective national laws.
The newspaper quoted unnamed military sources, as saying the question of immunity is central to obtaining agreement from the military on a new UN resolution on Iraq.
The resolution, which will deal with the end of US-British occupation and the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty on June 30, is due to be published in a few weeks.
The foreign office declined to comment on the report.
"The legal status of multinational forces post June 30 is a matter for discussion between the multinational force and the Iraqi interim government and will be discussed in the new UN security resolution," it said.
A ministry of defence spokesperson also declined to say whether British troops were actively seeking immunity.
"We are in discussions within Iraq about the status of UK troops after the handover, including the legal situation," he said.
Coalition troops currently enjoy legal immunity under Order 17, an agreement signed by the Coalition Provisional Authority.
The process of the transfer of power in Iraq has been unsettled by revelations of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US military guards, captured on film in photographs that have been reprinted around the world.
The Pentagon revealed on Friday that it is investigating the deaths of Iraqi prisoners held by US forces and the department of justice acknowledged that it has opened a criminal investigation into allegations of prisoner abuse.
In Britain, the Crown Prosecution Service is considering whether to press criminal proceedings against a British soldier over the death of an Iraqi civilian during an arrest.
- SAPA
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