Blair 'shocked' by pics
2005-01-19 15:13
London - Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday described photos showing abuse of Iraqi civilians as "shocking and appalling", echoing the prosecution at the courts martial of three British soldiers accused of carrying out the abuse.
"Everyone finds those photographs shocking, appalling and there are simply no other words to describe them," Blair said.
But he stressed that the vast majority of British soldiers serving in the contingent in Iraq had brought "great honour to this country", and said that his democratic nation was committed to prosecuting such crimes.
"The difference between democracy and tyranny is not that in a democracy bad things don't happen, but that in a democracy when they do happen people are held and brought to account. And that is what is happening under our judicial system," the prime minister said in parliament.
Facing questions
He was facing questions from the opposition over the abuse scandal, which stirred reactions of disgust and shame in Britain and, some said, undermined moral arguments which had been made for the British- and United States-led war.
Michael Howard, head of the opposition Conservative Party, said it was a "shame on our country" and did not reflect "the true character of our armed forces."
Blair, too, took up a defence of the Iraq-based troops like his army chief of staff, General Michael Jackson, did a day earlier.
"The vast majority of those 65 000 British soldiers who have served out in Iraq have done so with distinction, with courage and with great honour to this country. So whilst we express in a unified way our disgrace at those pictures, I hope we do not allow that to tarnish the good name, fully deserved, of our British armed forces," Blair said.
Three British soldiers are facing court martial before a military tribunal in western Germany, charged with offences ranging from battery, to forcing people in their custody to simulate sexual acts and to prejudicing good military order.
About 22 photographs have been released to the media by the court judge, taken by soldiers as souvenirs of the acts allegedly carried out in May, 2003 at an aid storage depot known as the "bread basket" near Basra, southern Iraq.