Written question asked by Harry Cohen (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 May 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 22 May 2008. It was answered by Lord Hutton of Furness (Labour) on Wednesday, 26 November 2008 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 15th May 2008, Official Report, columns 1715-6W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, when each member of the Serious Crimes Unit was taken into the custody of UK forces; when each was released; whether any legal proceedings were initiated against any of them; and if he will establish an investigation into the circumstances leading up to their detention by UK forces and during the period of their detention.

Answer: The situation in Iraq makes it very difficult to be certain of the identity and background of individuals detained by UK forces and in particular whether or not they are or have been members of the Serious Crimes Unit. Releasing detailed information of the date of capture and release of suspected members of that unit could enable the individuals concerned to be identified and thus pose a threat to their security. I am therefore not prepared to release such information.As we have made clear previously, there are no reasons to believe that there were outstanding arrest warrants against any of the members of the SCU previously detained and subsequently released by UK forces in southern Iraq. As a result, there was no basis on which the Iraq authorities would wish to take forward legal proceedings against these individuals. They were interned by UK forces under the authority of the UN Security Council Resolution 1546 and subsequent resolution for imperative reasons of security. Their internment and release was overseen by our in-theatre internment review procedures and they were released because of a judgment that they no longer represented an imperative security threat. I therefore have no intention of initiating further investigation into these events.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 483 c1551-2W;483 c1551W; 207680
Session: 2007-08
Related items: Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Iraq Peacekeeping operations
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk