Getting Away With Murder - From Derry (North of Ireland) to Basra
Approximately
150 people gathered today (Friday, 21 May 2004) in Guildhall Square, Derry in a
show of solidarity with Iraqi victims of British military violence.
The crowd gathered around a large black
cloth map of Iraq as they listened to families read accounts of how their
own relatives were killed by the British military in Derry and Belfast.
The families’ testimonials also included
references to particular Iraqi victims of British state violence.
The event was covered by local radio and
news media who photographed and interviewed families.
Derry 1971, Kathleen Thompson
On 6 November 1971, my mother, Kathleen
Thompson, was shot and killed while standing in her back garden by soldier ‘D’
from the 2nd Battalion Royal Green Jackets. My mother left behind six children.
The British army claimed that two shots
were fired at them, however there was no evidence of this. No proper investigation
was ever carried out by the RUC. The soldiers’ version of events went
unchallenged because their statements were taken by the Royal Military Police.
The inquest into her death delivered an
open verdict. No soldiers were ever prosecuted with her killing. In 1980 my
father received a cheque for £84 and 7 p. He tore it up.
Basra 2003, Hanan Shmailawi, 33
On 10 November 2003 Hanan Shmailawi, aged
33, was sitting down to supper with her husband and children when shots were
fired into the room. She was shot in the head and legs and was rushed to
hospital but died later that night. Soldiers from C Company, 1st Battalion, the
Kings Regiment fired the shots. His husband said, “Those present were terrified
and could not understand why British soldiers would fire into our home.”
The Ministry of Defence has not accepted
liability for her death.
Derry 1972, Manus Deery
On 19 May 1972 my brother, Manus Deery, was sharing a bag of chips with his
friends when he was shot and killed by soldier ‘A’ from C Company, 1st
Battalion, the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Manus had just received his first pay
packet that evening.
Manus and his friends were standing behind the Bogside Inn when the soldiers
opened fire from the Derry walls. The soldiers claimed there was a gunman in
the area at the time. Manus was struck by a bullet on the side of the head.
There was no evidence of an RUC investigation. The soldiers’ version of
events went unchallenged because their statements were taken by the Royal
Military Police. No soldiers were ever prosecuted with his killing.
Basra 2003,Ahmed Jabbar Karim
Ahmed Jabbar Karim Ali, aged 17, was on his way to work with his brother when
British soldiers captured him on May 8th 2003. He was badly beaten and then
ordered to swim across a river. Weakened from the beating he received from
the soldiers, he floundered. He was dead when he was pulled from the river.
During the investigation into his death, his body was exhumed and taken to
an American military base without the family’s knowledge. His father has
never been contacted about the outcome of the investigation.
Ahmed’s father wrote: “As a parent my feelings are deeply hurt and I am
suffering from great sadness.”
Derry 1981 and 1985, Gary and Charles English
My son Gary English, who was 19, died on Easter Sunday on 19 April 1981. Gary
was struck by a British army landrover. The landrover was driven by Stephen
Neville Buzzard under the command of Hugh Dalton Smith both of B Company,
2nd Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment. Gary was struck by the landrover
and as he lay on the ground unconscious the vehicle was reversed over his
body. Another young man, Jim Brown, was also killed by the same landrover.
The soldiers were not charged with murder but rather a lesser offence of
reckless driving, both were acquitted at trial. My son Charles then made his
own decision. He joined the IRA and was killed on August 6 1985 when a home
made rocket launcher exploded in his hands.
Basra 2003, Lafteh Ahmed Awdeh
Lafteh Ahmed Awdeh, aged 22, was killed by a British army vehicle on
September 4 2003. Lafteh was working in the fields with his father when a
column of British Army vehicles cut across the field. The driver of the
truck tried to negotiate a ditch but hit the young man. He was thrown into
the air and died instantly. The truck sped away with all the other vehicles
leaving him dead by the side of the road.
The Ministry of Defence has not accepted liability for his death.
Derry 1982, Stephen McConomy
On 16 April 1982 my 11 year old brother, Stephen McConomy, left home after
his dinner. My mother never saw her son alive again.
Stephen was among a group of youngsters aged between 9 and 12 hanging around
a British army Saracen on Fahan Street. Some of the children were messing
around throwing stones and trying to decorate the vehicle with a tricolour.
While Stephen walked away with his hands in his pockets, the hatch of the
vehicle opened and a single plastic bullet was aimed and fired at Stephen.
It hit him in the back of the head; he died three days later in hospital.
By-standers, who attempted to help Stephen, were threatened at gunpoint by
the soldiers. Lance Corporal Nigel Robert Englefield of the 2nd Battalion
Royal Anglian Regiment fired the shot that killed Stephen. Also present in
the Saracen were Private Kenneth Edward Fountain, Private Mark Gardner and
Private Colin Prentice.
No soldiers were ever prosecuted with his killing.
Basra 2003, Hanan Saleh Matrud
On 21 August 2003 a soldier from B Company, 1st Battalion of the King’s
Regiment shot and killed Hanan Saleh Matrud, an eight year old girl. An
Warrior armoured vehicle stopped near an alley that leads to Hanan’s home.
Three or four soldiers got out. A group of children, including Hanan
gathered, attracted by the soldiers. Suddenly a soldier aimed and fired a
shot that hit Hanan in her lower torso. At first soldiers did not want to
take her to hospital, but later did. She died the following day after an
operation. According to Amnesty International Hanan’s death is one of 37
deaths of civilians killed by British forces.
No proper investigation was carried out into this killing which the British
Ministry of Defence described as “an unfortunate casualty of war.”
Derry 1973, Thomas Friel
On the evening of 17 May 1973, my brother Thomas Friel, aged 22, left the
Telstar Bar with his brother Seamus. Approximately six soldiers from B
Company, 3rd Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment set upon them. The
soldiers fired two rubber bullets at Thomas and Seamus from a close range.
One of the bullets struck Thomas. As Seamus was helping Thomas to safety,
the soldiers continued to fire rubber bullets at them.
Thomas died in hospital on 22 May 1973.
No proper investigation was carried out by the RUC. The soldiers’ version of
events went unchallenged because their statements were taken by the Royal
Military Police. No soldier was ever prosecuted with his death.
Basra 2003, Hassan Hameed Naser
On 9 August 2003 Hassan Hameed Naser, an unemployed single man, was shot dead
by a soldier from B Company, 1st Battalion, the King’s Regiment. Hassan was
among a group of demonstrators who had gathered to protest about the lack of
fuel in the city of Basra. The victim’s brother, who witnessed the shooting,
told Amnesty International that the soldier fired randomly into the crowd.
No investigation was conducted into the killing.
Belfast 1992, Peter McBride
On 4 September 1992 my son, Peter McBride, aged 18 and the father of two
daughters, was stopped by a foot patrol of the Scots Guards, a regiment of
the British Army. After an identity check and a thorough body search, Peter
ran from the patrol and was chased by the soldiers. A witness heard the
words “shoot the bastard”. Two soldiers, Guardsman Mark Wright and Jim
Fisher shot at him, hitting him twice in the back. Peter stumbled towards
the back entry behind his sister’s house, where he collapsed and died.
The two soldiers were convicted of his murder, however, they remain in the
British army and have recently served in Basra. General Mike Jackson and
John Spellar sat on the Army Board which decided that the murder of Peter
was not a serious enough offence to warrant dismissal.
Basra 2003, Baha Mousa
Baha Mousa, a 26 year old hotel receptionist from Basra and the father of two
boys was tortured and beaten to death by soldiers from the Queen’ Lancashire
Regiment. Baha was arrested from the hotel where he worked on September 14
2003. He was taken to a British military base. One of his fellow workers who
was also arrested said that Baha was tied and hooded and then repeatedly
kicked and assaulted by the British troops, begging all the while to have
the hood removed because he could no longer breathe. Baha was strangled to
death four days after his arrest.
Two British soldiers arrested in connection with this killing were released
without charge. His father is infuriated by the way the British army has
treated Baha’s death. He said, “if these men have no punishment, they will
do this again”.
Between April and September last year at least 6 other people died in
British military custody in Iraq.
Derry 1972, Daniel Hegarty
My uncle, Daniel Hegarty, aged 15, was shot and killed on the morning of
Operation Motorman, 31 July 1972. Daniel and his cousins, Christopher and
Thomas went out for a walk because they wanted to see the ‘Centurion tanks.
As they walked along Creggan Heights, soldiers opened fire on the boys at
close range with a General Purpose Machine Gun. Christopher was wounded and
Daniel died from two gunshot wounds to the head. He was shot by soldier ‘B’
of A Company, 1st Battalion, the Royal Scots.
The soldiers claimed that three boys were armed. However, the soldiers made
no attempt to arrest the three and left the scene immediately. There was no
RUC investigation and the RUC map of the scene of the killing was
deliberately falsified. The soldiers’ version of events went unchallenged
because their statements were taken by the Royal Military Police.
No soldier was ever prosecuted with his killing.
Basra 2003, Kasber Farhoud Jasmin
On June 3 2003 Kasber Farhoud Jamin, was fishing with a small group in
southern Iraq when he was shot in the head by a passing British military
river patrol. His brother who was with him in the boat said they were
gathering in their net when the patrol approached. “Abruptly he fell in to
the river. I shouted at him but there was no response.”
Using lanterns the rest of the fishermen searched for the young man in the
river and eventually pulled him from the water. He had a bullet wound to the
head.
The Ministry of Defence has not accepted liability for his death. There was
no investigation.
Derry 1971, Annette McGavigan
On 6 September 1971 my sister, Annette McGavigan, was shot and killed by
British army troops. The identity of the regiment and the soldier who shot
Annette has never been confirmed. All that is known is that soldier ‘B’ and
soldier ‘C’ opened fire during the incident.
There was rioting going on in and around the Little Diamond, at the edge of
the Bogside. British soldiers were positioned in the grounds of the old
post office. During the rioting, two nail bombs were thrown at the soldiers.
They replied by opening fire into a crowd of young people, mainly girls.
Annette was in the crowd; she was hit by a bullet in the back of the head
and died instantly. The soldiers claimed that there was a gun battle,
eyewitnesses refuted this.
There is no evidence of a proper investigation by the RUC into her death.
The soldiers’ version of events went unchallenged because their statements
were taken by the Royal Military Police. No soldiers have ever been
prosecuted with her killing. Annette was 14 years old.
Basra 2003, Jaafer Hashim Majeed
Jaafer Hashim Majeed, aged 13, was playing in the street outside his home
when he came across an unexploded cluster bomb. As his father looked on, the
bomb exploded, injuring the 13-year-old so severely injured that he died
before arriving at the hospital.
The arms manufacturer Raytheon makes these cluster bombs. The cluster bomb
was one of thousands dropped on Iraq by British and American forces.
The Ministry of Defence has not accepted liability for his death.
Derry 1978, Patsy Duffy
On 24 November 1978 my father, Patsy Duffy, was shot dead by undercover
British soldiers.
My father entered a house on Maureen Avenue that was being used by the IRA
to keep weapons. My father went to the house to inspect these weapons, which
were locked in a wardrobe in an upstairs room. The house was being
staked-out by undercover British soldiers – the SAS. The SAS had been in the
house for two days.
As soon as my father entered the upstairs room the soldiers opened fire, he
was hit by 14 bullets. The soldiers claimed that they fired at him from
outside the room. However, the forensic evidence states that he had been
shot in the chest at close range by two bullets. All the other shots were
fired from behind.
The wardrobe where the weapons were kept was locked when the police arrived
at the scene and my father was unarmed. My father could have been arrested
instead of being executed. He was unarmed and did not pose a threat to
anyone.
There was no proper investigation by the RUC and no soldier was ever
prosecuted with his killing.
Basra 2003, Walid Fayay Mazban
Walid Fayay Mazban, a 42 year old driver was shot dead on 24 August 2003 at a
temporary checkpoint in Basara by a soldier from the 1st Battalion, the
Kings Regiment. He was the sole breadwinner for his wife, two children and
two parents.
As Walid drove his minibus through a crossroads where the British soldiers
were staffing a temporary checkpoint, he was fired on from behind. He
sustained multiple bullet injuries in his lower back. Following the shooting
he was taken to hospital, where he died the next day.
Nothing suspicious was found when the vehicle was searched. The family was
told in January 2004 that an investigation had been launched into the
killing.
Investigations into the incidents involving British troops are conducted by
the Royal Military Police.
Falluja April 29, 2004
On 29 April 2004 US Army paratroopers from 82nd Airborne Division killed 13
demonstrators and injured 75 more on the streets of Falluja. The
demonstrators were unarmed. They had gone to a local school that had been
occupied by US forces to ask them to leave. It was a peaceful protest and
no one was armed. The demonstrators stated that they had been attacked
without provocation and that the US soldiers had fired excessively and
indiscriminately.
The paratroopers claimed that they opened fire in self-defence after being
shot at by armed civilians. Civilian witnesses state that there was no
gun-fight. Evidence at the scene supports the civilian witnesses’ version of
events.
The massacre at Falluja marked a turning point and directly contributed to
the growing uprising against the US and British occupation.
Derry - Bloody Sunday 31 January 1972
On 30th January 1972, in Derry, members of the British Army’s Parachute
Regiment opened fire on marchers demonstrating for civil rights. 14 innocent
civilians were killed and a further 13 were injured by gunfire. No one was
charged with the killings. The British judiciary colluded with the army and
local police to prevent the truth of the event from emerging for more than
30 years. After years of campaigning, the families of the dead forced the
British Government into establishing a second public inquiry into the
killings. That inquiry is still ongoing since 1998.
The Solidarity Vigil “From the Bogside to Basra” was organized by the Derry
based Pat Finucane Centre (PFC) (http://www.serve.com/pfc/index.html)
The Centre advocates human rights and encourages political development and
social change in Ireland. The centre believes that the attainment of human,
political cultural and economic rights can only be achieved within the
context of active self determination involving all the Irish people.
This report and a corresponding German translation is forwarded by the “Save
the Good Friday Agreement Coalition (Germany)”, http://archiv.info-nordirland.de/
