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Iraqi interpreters to sue Britain: BBC
London (AFP) July 14, 2009 Some 25 Iraqis who worked for the British military are to take legal action against the government, saying they were not properly protected from extremists, the BBC reported Tuesday. The group, mainly interpreters, want compensation from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government because they claim they became targets for local militia who saw them as collaborators. "The Ministry of Defence certainly could have taken better steps to protect the identities of interpreters and in certain cases they should have housed the interpreters on the bases," Sapna Malik of solicitors Leigh Day, who is coordinating the legal action, told the BBC. One 28-year-old man told of how he decided to give up working for the British after his best friend was tortured and killed. "I feel so disappointed. (After) my loyal and faithful service to the British army, I am alone without any help. It is devastating for me," said the man, who lives in Basra and did not use his real name. "It was like a daily nightmare for (my family) -- whenever I was going out, they were thinking of me, they were fearing and expecting the worst for me." He said he had applied to come to Britain under a scheme set up in 2007 to house local staff but his application had failed. The scheme, which closed in May, has seen around 600 staff and dependents settled in Britain, the BBC reported, while nearly 700 have been rejected. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We have made a decision to focus assistance on those staff who have had a sustained association with us in the most difficult circumstances. "Wherever we draw the line, there will be difficult cases." Britain is winding down its military operation in Iraq and all but a handful of troops are likely to have pulled out by the end of this month. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Inquiry into Iraq death sees British soldiers 'abuse video'London (AFP) July 13, 2009 A public inquiry into the death of an Iraqi man in British custody was shown a video of a British soldier screaming at hooded prisoners on Monday. The first day of the wide-ranging inquiry in central London heard that Baha Mousa, a 26-year-old hotel receptionist who died in Basra, southern Iraq, died after a "struggle" with two soldiers. Mousa sustained 93 injuries including a broken ... read more |
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