Al-Sweady Inquiry Report

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister – in the House of Commons at 12:49 pm on 17 December 2014.

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Photo of Rory Stewart Rory Stewart Chair, Defence Committee, Chair, Defence Committee 12:49, 17 December 2014

I join the Secretary of State in absolutely commending the report for reinforcing the honour and respect of the British soldiers. Having been based in Abu Naji and Maysan at the time, I encourage the Secretary of State to focus on the broader political context. It was completely tragic that not just a few Iraqis, but most of the Iraqi leadership in the province were convinced of these unimaginable atrocities. I encourage the Secretary of

State to ensure that in future we have the right role for political officers on the ground to ensure that bodies are treated in the correct fashion, that the survivors’ families are reached out to in the correct fashion and that trust is built between the British military and the local political leaders to ensure that our soldiers are protected from these baseless allegations.