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| Red Caps 'link to Iraqi abused' | Red Caps 'link to Iraqi abused' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Nine Iraqis allegedly abused by British troops were thought to be linked to the killing of six Royal Military Police three months before, a court heard. | Nine Iraqis allegedly abused by British troops were thought to be linked to the killing of six Royal Military Police three months before, a court heard. |
| Seven soldiers are standing trial on charges relating to the alleged abuse of civilian detainees in Basra, southern Iraq, in September 2003. | Seven soldiers are standing trial on charges relating to the alleged abuse of civilian detainees in Basra, southern Iraq, in September 2003. |
| Prosecutor Julian Bevan QC said their suspected involvement in the killings of the Red Caps fuelled hostility. | Prosecutor Julian Bevan QC said their suspected involvement in the killings of the Red Caps fuelled hostility. |
| One soldier admits inhumane treatment. Six others have denied abuse charges. | One soldier admits inhumane treatment. Six others have denied abuse charges. |
| One of the detainees, Baha Mousa, 26, died in custody in Basra in 2003 while being held by members of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR), now the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. | One of the detainees, Baha Mousa, 26, died in custody in Basra in 2003 while being held by members of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR), now the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. |
| The six Red Caps were gunned down by a mob in the town of Al Majar Al Kabir in June 2003. | |
| Mr Bevan told the court martial at Bulford Camp, Wiltshire, that the suspected involvement of civilians in the killings, which took place in June 2003, may have led to increased hostility between the soldiers and their detainees. | Mr Bevan told the court martial at Bulford Camp, Wiltshire, that the suspected involvement of civilians in the killings, which took place in June 2003, may have led to increased hostility between the soldiers and their detainees. |
| The "general feelings of hostility and enmity" created by the soldiers facing a daily risk of death would have been heightened by such beliefs, said the prosecutor. | The "general feelings of hostility and enmity" created by the soldiers facing a daily risk of death would have been heightened by such beliefs, said the prosecutor. |
| These detainees were held, cuffed, hooded, deprived of sleep and for the most part held in the stress position in extreme heat Julian Bevan QC | |
| Mr Bevan said one of the accused, Major Michael Peebles, 35, of the Intelligence Corps, described the detainees as "suspected terrorists". | Mr Bevan said one of the accused, Major Michael Peebles, 35, of the Intelligence Corps, described the detainees as "suspected terrorists". |
| He told the court that another factor serving to increase the tension was the murder of Captain Dai Jones, a "much loved" officer of the QLR. | He told the court that another factor serving to increase the tension was the murder of Captain Dai Jones, a "much loved" officer of the QLR. |
| Captain Jones had been murdered by insurgents in a bombing incident in August 2003, a month before the Iraqi civilians' alleged ordeal. | Captain Jones had been murdered by insurgents in a bombing incident in August 2003, a month before the Iraqi civilians' alleged ordeal. |
| Cpl Donald Payne, 35, has become the first soldier to admit to a war crime after pleading guilty to inhumanely treating Iraqi civilians. | Cpl Donald Payne, 35, has become the first soldier to admit to a war crime after pleading guilty to inhumanely treating Iraqi civilians. |
| Payne has denied two further charges - manslaughter and perverting the course of justice - relating to the same alleged ordeal suffered by nine Iraqis arrested in Basra, southern Iraq, in September 2003. | Payne has denied two further charges - manslaughter and perverting the course of justice - relating to the same alleged ordeal suffered by nine Iraqis arrested in Basra, southern Iraq, in September 2003. |
| Payne's six co-defendants all plead not guilty to the charges brought against them. | Payne's six co-defendants all plead not guilty to the charges brought against them. |
| 'Unsupervised' | |
| Turning to the charge of negligently performing a duty that three of the soldiers face, Mr Bevan said they did not adequately ensure that Payne, the alleged leader of the abuse, and the other defendants, were treating the detainees humanely. | |
| He told the court there were no orders in place on the handling of the prisoners. | |
| The prosecutor said: "The consequences were that these detainees were held, cuffed, hooded, deprived of sleep and for the most part held in the stress position in extreme heat and increasingly unsanitary conditions for over 36 hours until the death of Baha Mousa. | |
| "The result was that Corporal Payne and the guards were left to act as they wished, without any adequate directions and without any proper supervision or checks in place." | |
| The stress position involves standing knees bent, with arms outstretched. | |
| The prosecutor said the treatment of the detainees contravened the prisoners' rights within law to be treated humanely. | |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |