In a letter sent to Jack Straw, the British foreign Secretary from the Liberal Democrat foreign relations spokesman, MP Menzies Campbell, and acquired by Raw Story, the issue of detainee abuse is a serious point of concern for members of parliament. The rise in insurgent attacks and the connection to the US detainment system is clearly a security concern for those countries in or imidiately surrounding Iraq.
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The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP,
The Foreign Secretary,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
London SW1A 2AH
28th October 2005
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You may be aware of news reports in the United States that US forces in Iraq are holding over 10,000 detainees.
I would be grateful if you were able to confirm whether or not these reports are correct. In particular, is Her Majesty’s Government able to say how many are being detained, what are their nationalities, where and by which forces are they being held? Under what legal or constitutional provisions are they detained, how many have been charged and do they have access to independent legal advice? Under what conditions are they held and are they subject to interrogation, and if so by whom? Is there any independent monitoring of their treatment, and any means of individual complaint?
Are you able to say how many individuals, in total, have been detained by multi-national forces in Iraq since the conflict; and of this number how many have been charged and tried, and how many released? Some sources indicate that over 70,000 people have been detained by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, since 2001. Do you believe this to be accurate and what proportion of this figure relates to Iraq?
I am sure you would agree that prolonged detention without trial, and that any treatment which is cruel, inhuman or degrading, is unacceptable. In relation to these matters, are you satisfied that international law is being respected in Iraq? Do you agree that if these standards are being breached, this would constitute the violation of human rights and could generate resentment and ill-will towards multi-national forces which would in turn contribute to the insurgency?
