The Hindu : International : Court martial: judge rebukes Blair

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Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

International

International

Court martial: judge rebukes Blair

By Audrey Gillan

OSNABRUCK (GERMANY), JAN. 21. The British Premier, Tony Blair, was effectively reprimanded by a British judge sitting at the court martial in Germany of three soldiers who are alleged to have abused Iraqi looters they captured and held in their camp.

The military hearing's judge advocate, Michael Hunter, urged the British Government not to make any further statements with regard to the case dubbed ``Britain's Abu Ghraib'', after the Prime Minister, in the House of Commons in London on Wednesday, mentioned a series of photographs taken from soldiers' cameras depicting the alleged mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners.

In a further coded rebuke aimed at preventing any risk of prejudicing the trial, he added that if Mr. Blair intended to make any further comments he should take legal advice.

``I would like to make an appeal that no public statements, if possible, be made with regard to this trial,'' said the judge sitting at the court martial centre in Osnabruck, north-west Germany.

``I fully appreciate that there may well be times when someone has to make a public statement. When questions were asked about a matter of such immense public concern yesterday, the Prime Minister could not, I think, have sensibly refused to make a statement. Something had to be said.

``I would ask that greater care be taken by those who find it necessary to make public statements, not to say anything that might prejudice the fairness of this trial. I would suggest that wherever possible, legal advice be obtained beforehand.''

At Prime Minister's questions, Mr. Blair said that allegations of abuse should not be allowed to ``tarnish the reputation'' of the British army.

He said: ``I think everyone finds those photographs shocking and appalling. There are simply no other words to describe them.'' The court martial, made up of a panel of seven officers and the judge advocate, has been given a book of 22 photographs containing ``shocking and appalling'' images allegedly showing the abuse of Iraqi prisoners following Operation Ali Baba. —

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Court martial: judge rebukes Blair