Tri-Service
Reports: British Sniper Faces Legal Probe After Shooting Insurgent
A sniper in the British Army is reportedly to be investigated for firing on an Iraqi insurgent who was about to launch an RPG at a British base.
The soldier has come under scrutiny from the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) for not 'shouting a warning' before firing, according to a number of national newspapers.
UK Veterans - One Voice, a pressure group based in the UK representing former soldiers, brought details of the reported investigation to the public.
The IHAT has been accused of fronting a 'witch-hunt' against British soldiers who served in Iraq as it investigates allegations of unlawful killings and torture.
David Cameron has expressed his "deep concern" at the prospect of British veterans of the Iraq War facing persistent threats of prosecution years after the conflict ended.
The pressure group's slogan
The story, which does not include any details of when or where the incident occurred, focuses on a British base which was the subject of repeated attacks by an individual over a period of weeks.
The attacker was allegedly armed with an RPG and habitually targeted the British base after Friday prayers.
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Soldiers are reported to have been warned not to return fire for fear of harming bystanders who gathered to watch the event after leaving their local mosque.
The following Thursday, with the base having been the subject of further RPG attacks from the same insurgent, a patrol unit with a sniper attached allegedly targeted the individual before his regular attack took place.
“As the insurgent’s finger tightened on the trigger of the RPG, a single shot cracked out,” says the account.
“The round flew almost 1,200 metres across the face of the crowd missing them safely. The RPG jumped unfired into the air and the insurgent’s body briefly flew across the ground having been hit by a veteran of long military service, a graduate of the Army Sniper School.”
Because the distance between the sniper and his target was so great, a warning would have been ineffective, according to the pressure group.
“Duty done, eventually, the sniper returned home to the UK and a happy civilian family life, with the respect of those who know him.”
The Ministry of Defence said on its official blog that the details given are not sufficient for the IHAT to be able to confirm whether such an investigation exists.
UK Veterans One Voice, meanwhile, is planning a series of marches next month to highlight the issue.
“Let the government know we will not go away until full responsibility is accepted for allowing the mismanagement of persecuting and prosecuting members of the Armed Services,” it said in a message to supporters.
“We ask for a stop to the current trend of ‘bash a soldier’ that is making a mint for lawyers, but ruining lives of individuals.”
The sniper's account contains no details of when or where the incident happened and could not be immediately verified.
The Ministry of Defence's blog states:
"We are determined to ensure our Armed Forces overseas are not subject to persistent legal claims that undermine their ability to do their job - and work is underway across government that is designed to achieve this."
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