No Disciplinary Action Against (UK) Army Officers

[Spider Jerusalem]

The army officer who devised Operation Ali Baba, the plan to round up looters at a British camp in southern Iraq, will not be disciplined, Ministry of Defence officials said yesterday.

<snip>

Major Dan Taylor, who was in charge of the humanitarian aid base Camp Breadbasket, near Basra, told soldiers there to catch the looters who had been stealing food and "work them hard".

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Clapham, the main prosecutor, said Major Taylor's order was unlawful.

Parties leaders expressed their disgust at what Tony Blair called the "shocking, appalling" images of Iraqis being forced to simulate sexual acts, bound and threatened, allegedly by British soldiers.

more... http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1394430,00.html

[UL_Approved]

1. Pure junk justice

At least in the U.S., we convicted Grainer. The Brits couldn't even do that. This is a strange place for the U.K., since it shows to the world that they are even more self-righteous in their pursuits than the U.S. The insurgency (resistance) will roll now.

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. Yes, well, if you look at it...

the US didn't do very much, either. Graner was convicted...so what? He's a staff sergeant. There were no courts-martial for any of the officers at Abu Ghraib, notice. And the article says "no disciplinary action against officers"...so they'll find a few low-level enlisted men to take the fall, most likely.

[roguevalley]

3. perhaps but then perception counts. we didn't do all we could do

but there are people in cells. The British need to rethink this if they don't want even MORE violence against their troops already there.

[UL_Approved]

4. I know, but the U.K. made NO effort to have accountability

The MoD didn't make ANY effort to find wrongdoing. The least they could have done was to have the guy fall on his sword to cover their asses. The ruling is a little strange anyway. They have pictures even. The guys got caught, simple as that. This now gives a green light to this abuse from coalition soldiers, too.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. There are 3 soldiers on trial now

that's why this is in the news. The situation is just the same as Abu Ghraib - the soldiers are in the photos, they're being charged, and the officers who suggested the abuse are being let off with nothing.