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British Soldier Kept Abuse Diary of Iraqi Prisoners

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Thu Nov 02, 2006 at 01:33:36 PM EST
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The UK's Timesonline reports:

A diary that appeared to catalogue violent attacks against Iraqi detainees was read out at the court martial of seven British soldiers accused of inhumane treatment towards prisoners today.

The journal was maintained by a former private, Stuart Mackenzie.

... Mr Mackenzie described attacks on Iraqi prisoners, some of whom were dubbed "Ali Babas" in the accounts. The court was told that Mr Mackenzie's unit of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment became known as "the grim reapers", because it was the first to kill an Iraqi. Julian Knowles, defending Corporal Payne, read sections of the diary to the court.

How bad are some of the entries? Read on.

"The fat bastard who kept taking off his hood and escaping from his plasticuffs got put in another room. He resisted and he stopped breathing, then we could not revive him. What a shame," he wrote.

And,

In July 2003, he wrote: "A big Iraqi punched Mr Rogers and got filled in immediately by about 10 of us. He was battered from head to toe so we beat let him go instead of arresting him."

...In separate accounts in the summer of 2003, Mr Mackenzie described attacking "Ali Babas": "Beat them up with sticks and filmed it. A good day so far," he wrote in July. Two months later, he wrote of a beating in which detainees suffered a punctured lung and broken fingers.

McKenzie was questioned about the diary on the witness stand. He denied enjoying violence or inflicting it. He even denied the events really took place:

"Do you think you should be prosecuted for the things you have written about in your diary: punctured lungs, broken ribs?" Mr Knowles asked.

"No. I have not said that this has happened. If I cannot remember them, I cannot say they happened," he replied.

Does the U.K. have a perjury statute?

[Hat tip Patriot Daily.]

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    British Soldier Kept Abuse Diary of Iraqi Prisoners | 2 comments (2 topical)

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    diarist (none / 0) (#1)
    by scribe on Thu Nov 02, 2006 at 01:48:13 PM EST
    Until shown otherwise, I will hold open the possibilities that the soldier is either (A) blanking out when called upon to recall these events, i.e., some form or manifestation of PTSD, (B) the subject of intimidation (actual or potential) by, or acting in some twisted sense of solidarity with, fellow soldiers or superiors re his testimony.

    While a war with a postmodern make-it-up quality to the coverage and government pronouncements might excuse a novice diarist like the soldier from absolute accuracy (i.e., he made it up), the existence of broken body parts in victims, particularly when and where they correspond to the diary, eliminates that possibility.

    I would assume there's some means of prosecuting and punishing perjury in UK courts, whether military or civil.

    THIS JUST IN... (none / 0) (#2)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Thu Nov 02, 2006 at 07:15:07 PM EST
    "The fat bastard who kept taking off his hood and escaping from his plasticuffs got put in another room. He resisted and he stopped breathing, then we could not revive him. What a shame," he wrote.

    McKenzie was questioned about the diary on the witness stand. He denied enjoying violence or inflicting it.

    The Republicans have called for the diarist to apologize for denying he enjoyed the violence.

    The fat bastard could not be reached for comment.


    British Soldier Kept Abuse Diary of Iraqi Prisoners | 2 comments (2 topical)

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