This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1215

Iraqi tribe members flown to UK gave bogus abuse testimony against soldiers and demanded millions

Failed tribal shakedown still paid off - scammers got free trip two week stay in UK- sightseeing tours and spending money
November 3, 2005

MIM:It appears that the Americans and British are oblivious to the fact that "someone who will kill you will also lie to you". In yet another blow to soldier's moral and display of abject dhimmitude out of fear of offending sociopathic Muslim sensibilities the UK and US have been putting soldiers on trial and allowing potential killers to testify against them. Word has also gotten out that big bucks can be made in claiming abuse by soldiers.

Yesterday a top Al Qaeda operative who planned embassy bombings and was scheduled to take the stand and testify against an American soldier who was charged with 'mistreating' him ;escaped' from prison in Afghanistan. The idea that a terrorist would be considered reliable enough to testify against anyone for anything makes a mockery of the justice system - and the obscene travesty is compounded by the fact that he would have been in a position to have an American soldier put in prison.

Now the UK has put seven British elite soldiers on trial based on the false testimony of illiterate marsh Arabs. That their testimony was even considered for a moment to be worth considering staggers the imagination, but even more incredible and outrageous is that these tribe members were flown at taxpayers expense to the UK where they received more then 100 pounds a day,and were taken on sight seeing tours for the two weeks which they spent during the trial in the UK. The trial cost the British public 10 million pounds (about 5 million dollars) . Which begs the question as to if further insult and injury will be inflicted on the UK citizens if they will have to foot the bill to put the Iraqis on trial for perjury and pay for any time in jail if they are convicted.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/04/nirq104.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/04/ixnewstop.html

The Iraqi lies that put the Paras in court
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
(Filed: 04/11/2005)

A blatant attempt to extract money from the British Army had been made by the Marsh Arabs of Ferkah, the court martial heard.

They had colluded, lied and frequently spoke of "fasil" - bloody money - and compensation when they appeared to give evidence.

The Judge Advocate General, Jeff Blackett, said they had made specious claims of improper behaviour including allegations that a baby and an old man had been killed by the British soldiers.

Three women witnesses had admitted making up claims that they were assaulted by the soldiers and the family of the dead man, 18-year-old Nadhem Abdullah, had encouraged other villagers to tell lies about the incident.

Fourteen witnesses had been brought from their homes in Iraq to give evidence to the court but much of their evidence was "too inherently weak or vague for any sensible person to rely on it" and it had been based on "a corporate recollection discussed by the family or tribe", said Judge Blackett.

The first witness, Athan Finjan Saddam who, like every witness took an oath on the Koran, was the driver of the 1986 Toyota truck at the centre of the incident. He claimed to have been so badly beaten that he was knocked unconscious for "two or three days".

Mr Saddam demanded compensation for his injuries, damaged car and the two-and-a-half years he had allegedly been kept out work.

"I am requesting millions," he told the court, while also admitting that he had asked for cash to make a witness statement.

Judge Blackett said it was "an affront to common sense" to conclude that the damage to his car could have been caused by boots and helmets or that he had been knocked unconscious in the attack.

After giving evidence Mr Saddam was driven, with a military escort, to join the other witnesses at a specially refurbished Army married quarters in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

The Iraqis were given food, free cigarettes and £56 a day expenses, while at weekends they were taken on sight-seeing trips during their two-week stay. One woman witness had brought two of her children to Britain and demanded the £56 allowance for each of them, but this was refused. A key female witness, Dalal Finjan, the sister of the driver, had given birth three days before the alleged incident.

She had claimed a paratrooper had punched her in the face and other soldiers had torn her clothes off.

She told investigators the assault had lasted an hour, during which the soldiers took breaks to clap and cheer as colleagues took over.

But, under oath, she told the court: "I lied. The soldiers did not tear my clothes. I did it because my heart was burning. Please forgive me for lying."

Sougheir Khalaf Toama, 51, a cousin of Mr Saddam, alleged he had suffered serious kidney damage as a result of the beatings. But when cross-examined he admitted lying in order to get compensation to pay for an operation to remove stones in both kidneys.

His brother, Kasim, showed scarring and stitch marks on his left arm, which he claimed was a wound caused by being hit with a helmet.

But after giving evidence he was sent for a medical examination which established that it was an old injury suffered between six months and a year before the alleged incident.

One defence lawyer called him a "proven liar and chancer".

Even before cross-examination Kareema Lefta, 44, admitted: "I said before I was injured - I was not." She later admitted they had all made up claims in their statements to the Military Police.

Samira Rishek told the court she agreed to travel to Britain to give evidence after being told she would receive $100 a day. In interviews she had claimed to be pregnant when allegedly beaten up by the soldiers but later admitted this was untrue.

She said: "I was not hit. In my tribe it is a matter of shame to be found out telling lies. I am ashamed of it. I regret it. I have no explanation for why I lied."

An Iraqi policeman, Bunnaiain Sari Moutlak, who admitted lying to investigators, said: "Nadhem's family told me that if I gave an accurate account of what happened their son would not be compensated."

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MIM: Judge Advocate General Jeff Blackett's farcical decorum (and willingness to hear the case) in the face of so obvious a shakedown by illiterate marsh Arab hicks who thought they could scamsome rich Westerners is beyond dhimmitude. He recites their litany of lies and ends with this 'gobsmacking' comment : "Had the witnesses turned out to be credible , then this case would have been stronger".

"...Directing the military panel to clear the defendants, Judge Advocate General Jeff Blackett said that once "weak or vague" evidence was discounted, not enough remained for a safe conviction.

"The court also heard that other Iraqis had made what quickly turned out to be specious claims of improper behaviour - including allegations that a baby and old man had been killed by British soldiers. That should have alerted investigators that they needed to search for independent evidence in this case.

"In particular, three women have admitted lying that they were assaulted by British soldiers when they were not, one witness has told the court that the family of the deceased actively encouraged others to tell lies to support their account and witnesses who said they were some distance from the incident could not possibly have seen what they said they saw.

"Had the Iraqi witnesses turned out to be credible, then the case would have been stronger":

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1856125,00.html

Paras cleared of murder in Iraq By Simon Freeman and agencies

Seven British paratroopers were today cleared of murdering a teenager in Iraq after a judge ruled that witnesses had embroidered their evidence to qualify for the $100-a-day court fee. The court martial collapsed and the soldiers, all members of the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, were found not guilty of murder and violent disorder. The cost to the taxpayer was estimated at £10 million. The soldiers were accused of the "gratuitous" murder of Nadhem Abdullah, 18, in May, 2003, three weeks after formal hostilities had ceased. It was alleged that they set upon Mr Abdullah with "feet, fists, helmets and rifle butts" after ordering him out of a taxi in al-Ferkah, 60 miles north of Basra. The court martial in Colchester heard that blood matching the dead man's DNA was found in a screw recess on Private Samuel May's rifle. Directing the military panel to clear the defendants, Judge Advocate General Jeff Blackett said that once "weak or vague" evidence was discounted, not enough remained for a safe conviction. He said that although the prosecution had presented its case objectively, it had become clear as the trial progressed that: "the main Iraqi witnesses had colluded to exaggerate the incident". Three women had admitted lying about being assaulted by British soldiers and one witness had told the court that Mr Abdullah's family encouraged others to lie, Judge Blackett said. One witness, Samira Rishek, a Marsh-Arab who had claimed to have been brutally beaten by the soldiers while she was pregnant, admitted to the court it was a "shameful" lie. The court heard that Mrs Rishek, along with other witnesses, was paid $100 a day to give evidence and that she only agreed to give evidence after being told she would be paid. She had calculated that she would have been able to claim $2,000 by the time her evidence was concluded, more than most Iraqis earn in a year. Judge Blackett criticised the investigators for failing to take DNA swabs at the scene and for not interviewing many of the witnesses until six months after Mr Abdullah's death. However, he accused the Iraqi witnesses of using the case to seek money from the Army. "They frequently spoke of ‘fasil' or blood money and compensation to what were patently exaggerated claims," he said. "The court also heard that other Iraqis had made what quickly turned out to be specious claims of improper behaviour - including allegations that a baby and old man had been killed by British soldiers. That should have alerted investigators that they needed to search for independent evidence in this case. "In particular, three women have admitted lying that they were assaulted by British soldiers when they were not, one witness has told the court that the family of the deceased actively encouraged others to tell lies to support their account and witnesses who said they were some distance from the incident could not possibly have seen what they said they saw. "Had the Iraqi witnesses turned out to be credible, then the case would have been stronger." Judge Blackett added that "any death is a tragedy and particularly when it is premature and as the result of violence". He added: "I commiserate with Nadhem's family, but it would be wrong and a miscarriage of justice to blame these seven defendants collectively for that death." The cleared soldiers are Corporal Scott Evans, 32, Private Billy Nerney, 24, Samuel May, 25, Morne Vosloo, 26, Daniel Harding, 25, Roberto Di-Gregorio and Scott Jackson, 26. Speaking after the decision, Rex Tedd, representing Corporal Evans, said: "These are very courageous men doing a very dangerous job in difficult circumstances. "To have a charge as grave as this hanging over a man's head when he's a serving soldier is very difficult indeed. "Corporal Evans will be going home today to his family with his head held high. His relief today is unlimited." Christopher Hill, Private Vosloo's solicitor, said: "It's been very difficult. It's been a terrible strain. I don't think it has quite sunk in that it is all over." Mr Hill said that Mr Vosloo had come from South Africa to join the British Army and remained "proud" of it. He said Mr Vosloo used to play cricket with the England cricketer Kevin Pietersen. "It is ironic that a few years ago he was playing cricket in South Africa with Kevin Pietersen. While Kevin Pietersen was winning the Ashes, my client had a murder charge hanging over him."

This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1215