Dutch order inquiry into report of abuse in Iraq
Source: Reuters
(Adds poll, new Labour leader quote, paragraphs 11-13) By Alexandra Hudson and Nicola Leske AMSTERDAM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The Dutch government ordered an independent inquiry on Friday into a report that Dutch military intelligence abused prisoners in Iraq in 2003, hoping to limit a scandal just days before a general election. Leading Dutch daily Volkskrant said intelligence officers had abused dozens of prisoners by hosing them with water to keep them awake, exposing them to bright light and blasting them with noise during heavy-handed interrogations. Amid opposition allegations of a government cover-up, Defence Minister Henk Kamp told journalists he had known of possible negligent treatment of Iraqi prisoners but an investigation at the time had found no punishable acts. He announced an independent investigation into the earlier study by military police and his own conduct in the affair. Kamp said that in October 2003, two months after Dutch troops first arrived in Iraq, 15 suspects were interrogated by military intelligence and security officers. "The marine commander told the operations centre in the Hague that there was talk of possible negligent treatment of these suspects. This was reported to military police, who launched an investigation into events," he said. The inquiry established that suspects had been made to wear ski glasses to prevent them recognising their interrogators and had been exposed to music while in their cells to prevent them communicating with each other and had been doused with water. "Military police established that no punishable acts had taken place," he said, adding the Defence Ministry was committed to high standards in the treatment of prisoners. COVER UP? Christian Democrat (CDA) Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende supported the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and sent about 1,300 Dutch troops to the south of country in 2003. He withdrew them last year as violence escalated and public opposition mounted. Although there was originally a broad political consensus in favour of involvement in Iraq, the abuse reports may prove damaging to Balkenende, who leads his Labour rivals in opinion polls five days before a general election on Nov. 22. A survey by leading pollster Maurice de Hond put the CDA steady on 42 seats out of a possible 150, while Labour was up two at 35. "Somebody has covered this up for three years," Labour leader Wouter Bos told reporters. "It must be cleared up as quickly as possible. It is dangerous for Dutch soldiers abroad if these sort of stories are doing the rounds. It is bad for the Netherlands' reputation." Several politicians drew parallels with the uproar over abuse by U.S. soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Since then, scandals have also erupted in Britain and Germany over the behaviour of their troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dutch soldiers are currently involved in a NATO peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, and this year it was agreed more would be sent to the area after a protracted parliamentary debate. Despite having a well-equipped military the Dutch have been nervous of risky military engagements since the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, when lightly-armed Dutch U.N. soldiers were forced to yield an enclave to Bosnian Serb forces, who then killed up to 8,000 Muslims who had sought protection. (Additional reporting by Harro ten Wolde)
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