Laughing troops 'tortured Iraqis'

LAUGHING British soldiers tortured Iraqi detainees by beating and kicking them, pouring freezing water on their heads and forcing them to recite names of English and Dutch football stars, a court heard yesterday.

The accusations - which throw the spotlight back on troop behaviour in the US-led occupation - came from an Iraqi witness at London's High Court where families of six dead civilians have launched a test case against British soldiers.

"The soldiers appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves as the beating was accompanied by laughter," said Kifah Taha al-Mutari. He was arrested in September 2003 along with one of the six dead Iraqis, Baha Mousa, in a raid on a hotel in Basra.

Mr Mousa later died in custody after alleged severe beatings.

"I could hear him moaning through the walls," added Mr Mutari, whose statement was read out in his presence. "I heard him say 'I am dying ... blood ... blood.' I heard nothing further." Relatives of the Iraqi civilians who died, represented by British lawyer Phil Shiner, are demanding that judges force British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government to open independent probes.

The case is expected to last to the end of the week.

Families say five of the six Iraqis were shot dead after the war while going about their daily lives - at home, attending a funeral, driving home from work, visiting a judge and eating dinner - in the British-controlled southern region of Iraq.

If the British High Court allows independent inquiries into yesterday's cases, involving five men and one woman, that could pave the way for many more claims, plus possible prosecutions and large compensation bills.

Britain's Ministry of Defence said it was "robustly" contesting the Iraqis' central argument that the European Convention on Human Rights should apply to British soldiers and that their own internal investigations were inadequate.

"UK armed forces operate in Iraq in accordance with relevant English law," a ministry spokesman said.

Britain sent 45,000 troops to the Gulf for last year's invasion.