BRITAIN: British soldiers accused of sexually humiliating and abusing Iraqi detainees have said they followed orders from superiors to "work them hard".
Photographs released on Tuesday evening showed Iraqi men being forced to simulate sex acts - images similar to torture photographs that emerged from the Abu Ghraib prison.
The photographs form the basis of a total of nine charges against three men from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers: Cpl Daniel Kenyon (33), Lance Cpl Mark Cooley (25), and Lance Cpl Darren Larkin (30).
The investigation began in May 2003 after a photo laboratory assistant notified police of photographs dropped in for developing by another soldier, Fusilier Gary Bartlam (20). He was found guilty of a court martial last week, but full details of that judgment can not yet be reported.
The cross-examination began yesterday with a statement from Mr Joseph Giret, defending, which said that his client, Cpl Daniel Kenyon, was "responsible for saving the lives of several of his colleagues" during the battle for Iraq. Cpl Kenyon is pleading not guilty to charges including aiding and abetting, as well as failing to report the alleged abuse.
Mr Giret said soldiers received orders on May 15th, 2003, from the camp commander, Maj Dan Taylor, known as Operation Ali Baba. The operation saw 100 British soldiers patrol for looters around the humanitarian warehouse known as Camp Bread Basket, outside the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Maj Taylor allegedly ordered that captured looters should "perhaps be made to work hard".
"[ Cpl Kenyon] has not acted out of character. The whole reason he is in the dock stems from those who gave the order to operate the plan Ali Baba," said Mr Giret.
Senior army officers apparently decided that Maj Taylor's orders were designed as a "deterrent" to stop looting and that he would face no legal action.
That could change this morning, when Maj Taylor takes the stand and defence counsel will attempt to change the focus of proceedings from the three men on trial to the chain of command itself.
Prosecutor Lt Col Nick Clapham pointed out on the first day of the trial that the order was unauthorised and contravened both military law and the Geneva Convention. The court martial is expected to last up to four weeks.