Al Sweady: Unlawful Killing Claims Withdrawn

Accusations British soldiers unlawfully killed civilians in Iraq a decade ago have been dropped after lawyers for the families of alleged victims' said there was not enough evidence.

The admission came after a public inquiry into the claims had heard more than a year of evidence from nearly 300 witnesses at a cost of more than £22m.

Public Interest Lawyers accepted, based on the evidence, no one was killed at Camp Abu Naji (CAN) near Majar-al-Kabir on May 14 and 15, 2004.

PIL and its clients had changed their mind because of "detailed material" which came out in evidence.

But it still intends to press ahead with claims regarding the alleged mistreatment of prisoners.

The Ministry of Defence had vigorously denied the claims soldiers killed prisoners, and was "pleased" they had been withdrawn.

The inquiry was looking into allegations that 20 or more Iraqis were unlawfully killed at the base, and detainees were ill-treated there and later at Shaibah Logistics Base, following the Battle of Danny Boy.

John Dickinson, lead solicitor for PIL, said in a statement: "It is accepted that, on the material which has been disclosed to date, there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of unlawful killing in Camp Abu Naji."

The inquiry is named after Hamid al Sweady, a 19-year-old student whose father Mizal Karim al Sweady claimed he was murdered after being detained by British troops.

But Mr al Sweady, who travelled to the UK for the inquiry last year, changed some of his claims, and the inquiry heard there were discrepancies between statements he had given.

Inquiry chairman Sir Thayne Forbes, who is due to release his final report in November, said of the PIL admission: "I do recognise that this statement is of very considerable significance and of great importance to the future progress of this inquiry."