Army Major 'Feels Betrayed' Over Iraq Investigations

An Army officer says he feels betrayed over an investigation into the death of an Iraqi teenager that has gone on for 15 years.

Major Robert Campbell and two colleagues were investigated after 19-year-old Iraqi Said Shabram drowned in a river in 2003 but the Army Prosecuting Authority did not press charges.

After the three soldiers were cleared of manslaughter, there were repeated follow up inquiries into the incident, including a civil case, and an investigation by the now-defunct Iraq Historical Allegations Team (IHAT).

He told Forces News:

"The biggest effect that we feel is the sense of betrayal that we’ve had from the Army and the Ministry of Defence.

"The entire time that this has been going we’ve been expected to carry on as if we were not under investigation.

"The relationship between us and the Army is pretty much unworkable now."

After seven investigations into the incident, an eighth inquiry will take place by the government-funded Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI).

The IFI says it is investigating evidence in order to find out the circumstances in which a death has occurred, and is not concerned with deciding criminal or civil liability.

Maj Campbell says he has been given legal advice to no longer talk about the incident itself and does not feel another investigation will change anything.

"In the last 15 years I’ve deployed on multiple occasions, and was injured in Afghanistan in a completely unrelated incident," he said.

"When you’re already trying to deal with one physical and mental challenge to be consistently handed yet another just doesn’t seem fair.

"It’s especially unfair when you keep getting repeated assurances that this is the end of it.

"Any assurances the government gives are completely meaningless."

In response, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:

"It’s right that we hold our Armed Forces to the highest standards and we have a legal obligation to investigate allegations of wrong doing.

"We deplore false or unfair allegations against our service personnel and when they have been made we’ve taken action, supplying evidence to have Phil Shiner struck off and closing IHAT.

"The High Court has ordered the Iraq Fatalities Investigations, which is a civil process looking into the circumstances of alleged unlawful deaths of Iraqis.

"It can only take place when criminal proceedings have been ruled out. It is not an investigation into any particular individual."

Maj Campbell and two colleagues were investigated after Mr Shabram drowned in a river but the Army Prosecuting Authority did not press charges.