I only heard about this sad case recently. Fifteen year old Ahmed died in 2003 as a result of the irresponsible and bloodthirsty actions of British soldiers in Iraq. Shortly after British soldiers arrived in Basra, some of them came across some youths who, it was alleged, were looting in the area. The British soldiers arrested four young boys and forced them into a nearby canal. One of them, Ahmed, got into difficulty in the water but the British soldiers ignored his cries and drove off. He died. The other three survived. You can imagine their distress.
The British soldiers were later brought to court in England but were acquitted of the charge of manslaughter and got off with a rap on the knuckles. This case only came to light again because the families of the victims and their lawyers fought hard for an investigation.
A senior judge, George Newman, was asked to carry out an inquiry which was published recently. The other day, thirteen years later, the MOD has said sorry for the death of Ahmed and has promised to use Sir George Newman’s findings to ensure such cases do not occur again. The editorial in the Guardian newspaper says:
“We should not count on that. These hearings have happened only because the families of the victims and their lawyers fought hard and persistently for a proper investigation. There is along and inglorious history of abuses by British troops being first denied, then dismissed as the work of a few bad apples, and finally much later and after sustained pressure, acknowledged as broader problems and perhaps apologised for. Often the truth emerges after decades.”(The Guardian 17 Sept 2016)
A few days ago, I heard British army Colonel Kemp on BBC Radio 4, excusing those British soldiers who are responsible for the death of young Ahmed Jabbar Ali in Basra, Iraq in 2003. It was chilling to listen to this colonel making excuses for the British soldiers. He claimed they were not prepared for the situation they found themselves in, they were inexperienced soldiers etc. They would learn from this, he said. How often have we heard this before?
It does not surprise me that British soldiers carried out cold -blooded murders in Iraq and they got of scott- free. Neither does it surprise me when a senior British army officer attempts to excuse them. It does surprise me that the BBC gets off so lightly and that the British public and the Church leaders judge this behaviour as acceptable and understandable. They lost their moral compass a long time ago.
The more I read and hear about the way British soldiers behaved in Iraq and many countries, the more disgusted I become that the British government, which is held in such high esteem by the Fine Gael Dublin government supported by Fianna Fail, can get away with murder. It seems that they are not accountable to anyone. They will be even less accountable now that they have opted out of Europe. It is all the more reason that we in Ireland should not be saddled with this government any longer. It would be liberating for all, including those who are unionist, to be rid of them. It is the only way that the people who live on this island will ever realise their full potential, when they have control over their own affairs free from outside interference. The Iraqi people too have discovered from sad experiences like the wilful killing of Ahmed, that British interference has done untold damage and caused immense suffering in their country.
A friend in Belfast once told me he was getting a bit of a hiding along the Falls Road, a British army land rover came on the scene, lifted my friend and let him out down the road a bit.
You remark on how Irish mainstream politicians accept unquestioningly the far-fetched statements by British governments over the years.
But what I still cannot accept is Irish governments acceptance and acquiescence of the British government’s direct involvements in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
How can they betray their own people so?
They are shameless!