Basra Judge suspects "British soldiers" not British

Judge Raghib al-Mudhafar, chief of the Basra Anti-Terrorism Court, said he reissued homicide arrest warrants for the two soldiers Thursday after an Iraqi civilian was reportedly killed and a police officer injured.

The BBC reports online today ....

A UK forces spokesman said the warrant had no legal basis but that they would co-operate with the Iraqi inquiry. The MoD (in London ?) said it was aware of reports about the arrest warrant for the soldiers but that British authorities had not received any such warrant.

British forces spokesman Major Steve Melbourne said the two men had immunity from prosecution under an arrangement between the Iraqi government and coalition forces.

However, the judge told the BBC he was not convinced the two men were British and therefore would not be immune from arrest and possible prosecution in Iraq.

The UK forces claim lack of legal authority because the conquering heroes issued a diktat in early May 2003 that they could only pursue military crimes before that date..... they don't want to appear in front of the ICC in Hague you see. If good men act like bad men , how are we going to tell the difference ?

But what on earth was the judge wittering on about ? Not British ? We'll be told soon that the Stockwell killers weren't policemen and the IPCC can't deal with them.

Curioser and Curioser, said Alice.