Britain to conduct Iraq torture inquiry

LONDON, July 6 (UPI) -- Britain's Ministry of Defense says it will conduct a fresh inquiry into a 2004 incident in which Iraqi prisoners say they were tortured and others killed.

Attorneys for nine Iraqi prisoners say they have witness statements alleging detainees held a British Army base at Camp Abu Naji were mistreated and slain in May 2004, and on Monday British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth told the High Court he believes there is cause for a new investigation, The Times of London reported.

An earlier investigation by the government concluded 20 Iraqi insurgents were killed at a checkpoint on the road between Baghdad and al-Amarah in Maysan province, with nine others arrested and detained. The Ministry of Defense said the nine prisoners had been handed over to Iraqi officials, along with the bodies of 20 insurgents killed in battle, the newspaper said.

But attorneys for the detainees and the families of the slain men contend the government's review was inadequate, saying witnesses have claimed seeing many more than nine Iraqis being taken away from the battle.