'Significant progress' in Iraq video investigation
Last updated at 11:59 15 February 2006
Three soldiers are being interviewed over the video footage showing the apparent abuse of Iraqi civilians by British troops.
The video showed young Iraqi civilians being punched, kicked and headbutted by troops, and was accompanied by a leering commentary.
The Royal Military Police arrested one person on Sunday night, and it detained two others yesterday as the investigation made "significant progress".
The first soldier arrested was named by the BBC as Corporal Martin Webster of the 1st Battalion, Light Infantry, although the corporation said it was not clear whether he was being interviewed as a witness or a perpetrator.
Released in the News of the World, the footage was taken in southern Iraq two years ago.
In a statement yesterday, the MoD said: "Although the investigation is still in its early stages, significant progress has been made.
"Three individuals have been arrested who might be implicated in the allegations. It would be inappropriate to comment further on the arrests at this stage."
The statement added: "The Royal Military Police have identified several people in the video and investigations are ongoing to identify all those involved in the alleged incident.
"It is important to get these allegations in proportion. Our Armed Forces have done and continue to do an outstanding job wherever they are serving.
'Small number involved in such incidents'
"Over 80,000 British servicemen and women have served in Iraq since the beginning of military operations. Only a small number are alleged to be involved in incidents of this kind.
"British soldiers are expected to uphold the highest standards of behaviour but they also deserve the same rights as British citizens, who, like them, operate under British law.
"That means that they remain innocent until proven guilty. They do not lose that right because they serve in uniform."
On Monday night the BBC ran what it said was previously unseen footage that appeared to show troops being attacked by a mob in the minutes before the alleged assault on civilians, plus an interview with Cpl Webster in 2004 in which he talked about Iraq.
The video sparked outrage in the Middle East, with the Prime Minister pledging a full investigation, and prompting Basra provincial council to suspend relations with British forces.
Meanwhile, two Iraqis claimed to have been among those beaten by British soldiers at the time the film was thought to have been taken.
The allegations by Bassem Shaker, 27, and Tariq Abdul-Razzak, 14, were presented to the media at the offices of radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in al-Amarah and they said they would seek compensation from the British Army.
The pair claim to have been part of a protest about the lack of jobs in al-Amarah.
Mr Shaker said he had not reported the alleged abuse because he felt nothing would be done.
"But when we saw this tape and the amount of anger it caused inside and outside Iraq, we decided to come today to the al-Sadr office because we need them, after God, to help us to sue the British forces and compensate us," he said.
"Those troops humiliated us and violated our rights to demand jobs."
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