LONDON - Two British soldiers were cleared at a court martial Tuesday of failing to ensure their troops did not abuse a group of Iraqi civilian detainees, one of whom died.
Major Michael Peebles, 35, and Warrant Officer Mark Davies, 37, were among seven men who faced trial at Bulford Camp in Wiltshire, southwest England, on charges related to the alleged ill-treatment of suspected insurgents.
Peebles and Davies were cleared of neglecting to ensure the Iraqis were not ill-treated by men under their command.
Four others among the seven were cleared last month, while another, Corporal Donald Payne, 35, was cleared of manslaughter and perverting the course of justice but pleaded guilty to inhumane treatment.
Payne therefore became the British military's first convicted war criminal. He is awaiting sentence at the end of next month.
Peebles' lawyer Gilbert Blades said outside the court afterwards that the investigation was inadequate and there were "fundamental flaws" in the decision to bring charges.
"No one who was prosecuted in this case, with one exception (Payne), should have been prosecuted.
"If charges are brought, the case should be capable of standing up to scrutiny by the court."
The Iraqi detainees were arrested by the Queen's Lancashire Regiment at a hotel in Basra, southern Iraq, in September 2003, six months after the US-led invasion.
Baha Musa, a 26-year-old hotel worker, suffocated when he was forced to the floor with his arms behind his back as the soldiers tried to cuff him, prosecutors charged last September.
They alleged that the detainees were beaten, hooded, deprived of sleep and made to hold stress positions over a 36-hour period.
The rough handling was called "conditioning" and was intended to "soften up" the detainees ahead of tactical questioning.
In a statement, the defence ministry said it needed time to consider the "serious implications" of the judgement.
"In very difficult and dangerous circumstances in Iraq our forces do a superb job," it said.
"However, we need to maintain both operational effectiveness and the public's trust and confidence. If, as result of this trial, which is still ongoing, lessons need to be learned, we shall do so."
Army sources said the trial, which began in September, cost the British taxpayer 20 million pounds (38.7 million dollars, 29.3 million euros).
03/13/2007 17:55 GMT