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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| No charges over Iraq video riots | No charges over Iraq video riots |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Nine British soldiers who were accused of beating Iraqi youths in disturbances caught on video will not face charges, Army lawyers have announced. | Nine British soldiers who were accused of beating Iraqi youths in disturbances caught on video will not face charges, Army lawyers have announced. |
| The Army Prosecuting Authority (APA) said there was not enough evidence on most of the claims, and prosecution was "not in the public interest" on others. | The Army Prosecuting Authority (APA) said there was not enough evidence on most of the claims, and prosecution was "not in the public interest" on others. |
| Video footage emerged in February 2006 of riots in the southern Iraqi town of al-Amarah during April 2004. | Video footage emerged in February 2006 of riots in the southern Iraqi town of al-Amarah during April 2004. |
| The footage showed Iraqis allegedly being kicked, punched and head-butted. | The footage showed Iraqis allegedly being kicked, punched and head-butted. |
| At one point some soldiers - all of them believed to be from the 1st Battalion The Light Infantry - appeared to kick a dead body. | |
| Stills from the video footage caused shock around the Middle East when they appeared in the News of the World newspaper and were broadcast on several TV news channels. | |
| 'Mortar blasts' | |
| The APA said in a statement the incident had been "thoroughly investigated" by the Royal Military Police. | |
| "It appeared that four Iraqi civilians had been snatched from a rioting crowd and brought inside a military compound where they were assaulted. | |
| The APA has referred the case back to the Army who will now consider taking internal disciplinary and administrative action APA statement | |
| "The video has a commentary appearing to encourage what was being done." | |
| The APA said the footage also showed "immediately before the alleged assaults, the soldiers being attacked by mortar blast bombs and confronted by a riotous mob throwing stones". | |
| The authority said it was only possible to identify two soldiers "apparently engaged in assaults footage". | |
| But too much time had passed since the incident to allow a charge of battery, and there was insufficient evidence to allow more serious charges to be brought. | |
| 'Public interest' | |
| Two servicemen could also have faced charges of committing "conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline" over "an alleged kick to the body of a deceased Iraqi civilian" and the commentary on the video. | |
| "These charges do have a realistic prospect of conviction, but the APA took the view that the public interest did not require them to be tried by court martial," the authority said. | |
| "They could be dealt with summarily by the commanding officer, or by internal Army administrative action which can impose a range of sanctions including termination of service." | |
| The APA has handed the case back to the Army to consider what action needs to be taken. |