Blog：Iraqi inquiry sees video of abuse

A video of a British soldier screaming abuse at hooded prisoners in Iraq has been played at a public inquiry into the death of an Iraqi civilian.
Baha Mousa, 26, died after his arrest at a Basra hotel.
The film showed Cpl Donald Payne, who was jailed for inhumane treatment in 2007, swearing at prisoners forced to hold “stress positions”.
The inquiry, led by Sir William Gage, will focus on the death, detainees’ treatment and British army methods.
It heard allegations that one Iraqi was forced to dance like Michael Jackson and another was urinated on.
In other allegations heard by the inquiry, one Iraqi said he had his face burnt when it was held next to a generator, a man was forced to lie face-down over a hole in the ground filled with excrement, and the detainees were “continually beaten” for hours on end.
Gerard Elias QC, counsel to the inquiry, said: “There can be little doubt that the detainees, or some of them, were the targets of physical assaults.
“They were beaten more or less continuously over the 48-hour period, kicked and punched a very large number of times, especially in the kidneys and lower back.”
The inquiry also heard allegations that soldiers tried to manipulate detainees’ moans into an “orchestrated choir”.
Mr Elias said: “There was shouting, moaning – even screaming – coming from the TDF (temporary detention facility) from time to time during the detention, according to some witnesses.