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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance has been given to UK forces operating in the no fly zone in southern Iraq on the holy places of the Shi'a in Nayjab and Kerbala. [103735] Mr. Hoon :[holding answer 18 March 2003]: We are fully aware of the significance of the holy sites in Najaf and Karbala. The coalition is taking every precaution to respect and avoid damage to them. By contrast, we know from intelligence that Saddam Hussein has plans to damage the sites and to blame the coalition. There are precedents: in 1991, Iraq troops attacked and desecrated Imam Ali's shrine and destroyed religious libraries in Najaf; they shelled and desecrated Imam Hussein's shrine in Karbala; and the shrine of Imam Abbas was also reported damaged. The United Kingdom is fully committed to the protection of cultural property in times of armed conflict. The Government take very seriously its obligations to act in conformity with international law, the UN Charter and international humanitarian law. In all our military planning, very careful attention is applied to ensure that we minimise the risk of damage to all civilian sites. The targeting process during current operations is conducted in accordance with all obligations under international law, including Additional Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions, and the Targeting Directive to United Kingdom forces stationed in the Gulf contains explicit guidance on their obligations under international and domestic law. For reasons offeree protection, I cannot comment on the specifics of our targeting policy, and I am therefore withholding that information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Defence, security and international relations). In view of the continuing air operations against Iraq, No Fly Zone patrols have been rendered redundant. This does not mean that we have in any way reduced our humanitarian concerns for the Iraqi people. Our Servicemen and women have daily risked their lives enhancing the security of the civilian population for over a decade, and we will continue to demonstrate that commitment.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

103735; 403 c139-40W;403 c140W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Armed conflict Cultural heritage Iraq International law Military aircraft Religion Religious buildings Iraq conflict

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk