Afghan Soldier "Executed" Prisoner On British Base

An Afghan soldier "executed" a prisoner on a British base in Helmand province, UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents disclose Sunday.

It is understood that UK troops did not directly witness the killing but were close by at the time.

British military investigators carried out an inquiry into the shooting of the detainee on a small UK-controlled patrol base in Musa Qala in March. It is believed that the Afghan soldier who carried out the killing was handed over to the local authorities, although it is not clear what happened to him.

Details of the incident emerged in a training manual for troops deploying to Afghanistan released by the MoD as part of the Baha Mousa public inquiry into abuse of Iraqi prisoners. T

he document, which has a "restricted" security classification, outlines how UK forces should treat detainees captured during operations.

Referring to the current situation in Afghanistan, it says: "Allegations of detainee abuse by ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) and Isaf (the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force) troops continue - some reported to ICRC (the International Commission of the Red Cross).

Campaigners have raised concerns about the treatment of Afghan prisoners captured by British forces. Anti-war activist Maya Evans brought a High Court challenge to the UK's policy of transferring Taliban suspects to the Afghan authorities, saying it had led to "horrible abuse" of detainees in violation of international law and human rights.

In June, the court upheld the policy - but it banned the military from handing over prisoners to Afghanistan's spy agency, the National Directorate of Security, in Kabul, where there was a "real risk of torture or other serious mistreatment".

Musa Qala was under control of soldiers from the Household Cavalry at the time of the killing of the detainee in March. The district was handed over to the US Marines shortly afterwards. A massive programme to expand the Afghan security forces - the goal is that their numbers should grow from fewer than 200,000 at the start of this year to 300,000 by the end of 2011 - is under way. But concerns have been expressed about the quality and allegiance of some recruits.

In July, an Afghan soldier murdered three British troops from 1st Battalion The Royal Rifles at a base near Helmand's capital, Lashkar Gah. In a related development, Britain has awarded nearly one million pounds to Afghans in compensation for deaths, injuries and damage to property so far this year, official figures reveal.

This includes 161,550 dollars (102,000 pounds) paid to the families of at least 35 civilians killed as a result of NATO operations in Afghanistan. Compensation claims relating to the deaths of another 17 Afghans are still under investigation, data released by the Ministry of Defence in response to a Freedom of Information request shows.

KUNA

The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) was founded according to an Amiri Decree which was issued on 6th October 1979. The goals of the agency were specified as gathering news and distributing it to individuals and media institutions to provide them with objective news services, and to focus on Kuwait's just causes regionally and internationally. The Kuwait News Agency's building is located in Shuwaikh area between the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the building of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, opposite the Kuwait Sports Club overlooking Al-Jahra Street.


(2010-10-03/eurasiareview.com)