Written question asked by Bernard Jenkin (Conservative) on Wednesday, 21 May 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 4 June 2003. It was answered by Lord Moonie (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 June 2003 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Royal Military Police will provide on the ground assistance in the search for the missing ITN crew members Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman; if he will make a statement on the latest reports he has received on missing cameraman Fred Nerac and local translator Hussein Osman.

Answer: Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Royal Military Police will provide on the ground assistance in the search for the missing ITN crew members Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman; [116226] (2) if he will make a statement on the latest reports he has received on missing cameraman Fred Nerac and local translator Hussein Osman. [116224] Dr. Moonie: Subject to the constraints of the security situation on the ground, British troops in southern Iraq, including members of the Royal Military Police (RMP), have been providing ITN investigators with whatever assistance they reasonably could in trying to establish what has happened to Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman. The Ministry of Defence's position has always been that the RMP would only undertake a formal investigation into the disappearance of the two men if they had sufficient grounds to suspect that a war crime might have been committed. Following new information that has recently come to light, however, the RMP Special Investigations Branch will now investigate the disappearance of Fred Nerac and Hussein Osman.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 406 c444W;406 c444-5W; 116226;116224
Session: 2002-03
Subjects: Armed conflict Iraq Journalism Iraq conflict ITN Nerac, Fred Osman, Hussein
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk