Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Beeb ‘slurs’ on Iraq heroes

THE BBC is to accuse the most highly decorated battalion in the Army of torturing and executing six Iraqi prisoners in cold blood.

The allegations include claims that a 14-year-old boy was garrotted and a man was shot point-blank in the head.

Flagship programme Panorama will claim the prisoners were murdered after being captured during a bloody battle in 2004. The shootout, dubbed the Battle of Danny Boy after a checkpoint where it took place, saw the first bayonet charge in 20 years.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment won a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross and two Military Crosses for their bravery.

The accusations, to be aired on Monday, have caused fury among top brass who believe they were fabricated by militants to embarrass the British Government.


Disgrace


Investigations by both the Royal Military Police and International Red Cross have found NO atrocities had taken place.

And a senior defence source said: “What the BBC are going to do is a disgrace.”

In six months in Iraq 1PWRR lost two dead, 48 wounded and won 30 medals – including a VC earned by L/Cpl Johnson Beharry two weeks before Danny Boy. There is no suggestion of any allegations involving him.

The claims have been made by nine fighters from the fanatical Medhi Army, who have taken on antiwar lawyer Phil Shiner to push their case in Britain.

The battle erupted near hotspot town Majar al Kabir when a company from 1PWRR went to the rescue of an underfire unit.

As the ambushers were well hidden in deep ditches, Our Boys assaulted them with bayonets.

Afterwards 20 enemy dead were taken back to base. The Iraqis claim six were still alive on arrival but executed overnight, with a boy strangled.

A BBC spokesman insisted the programme was still under discussion, adding: “We are examining a range of things.”

Tory MP Patrick Mercer, an ex-Army officer, said: “It is totally unacceptable.”

Sun

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