Prisoner abuse: Malaysian premier urges swift action

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today urged the Britain and the US to take swift and stern measures to prevent any of their soldiers from abusing Iraqi prisoners.

Allegations that Iraqi captives have been abused should be investigated thoroughly, and international organisations such as the United Nations must not hesitate to condemn any mistreatment, Abdullah said.

“Developed nations often harp on cruelty, violence and the inability of developing nations to properly treat prisoners and detainees,” he said. “All these are highlighted and linked to human rights violations.”

Abdullah stressed that coalition soldiers found guilty of mistreating Iraqi convicts “must be punished accordingly because what they did cannot be accepted.”

Malaysia, which chairs the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference - the world’s largest Muslim grouping – has repeatedly said the United Nations should take the lead role in Iraq as soon as possible because the US led administration had failed to provide stability.