Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Iraq pictures and Africa Commission.
Africa Commission
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that the Prime Minister would be chairing the first meeting of the Africa Commission in Downing Street this afternoon. The purpose of the Commission was to have a fresh and fundamental look at all aspects of policy relating to Africa in the run-up to the UK’s Presidency of both the G8 and the EU next year.
Iraq Pictures
Asked about Adam Ingram’s Statement to the House this afternoon on the treatment of Iraqi prisoners, the PMOS said that Mr Ingram would update MPs on the issue. Everyone was familiar with the current situation. An investigation into the Daily Mirror pictures was ongoing which would take into account all the relevant matters. Obviously we hoped it would report as soon as possible, but it was clearly important to make sure that it was properly carried out.
Asked if the Prime Minister would accept that the damage had already been done, regardless of whether the pictures were genuine or fake, the PMOS said that as the Prime Minister had pointed out in Dublin over the weekend, there was no disputing the damage which could be done if the allegations were true. If they were, then it was clear that we did not condone such behaviour. An investigation was ongoing to establish the facts of the case. Questioned further, the PMOS said that everyone in Government would obviously like to see the results of this investigation as soon as possible. However, it was important for people to recognise that it would take a bit of time to do the necessary work. Asked if the Prime Minister was concerned that the publication of the pictures would make life difficult for our troops in Basra, the PMOS said that as the Prime Minister had underlined in Dublin, no one was under-estimating the seriousness of the allegations. That was why it was necessary to find out whether they were true or not. As both he and Gen Sir Mike Jackson had made clear, we would ask people not to judge the behaviour of our troops on the ground in Iraq on the alleged misbehaviour of a few.
Asked if Downing Street had contacted the Daily Mirror, the PMOS said he had no intention of getting drawn into a discussion about who had spoken to whom. That said, we would ask all the relevant people to co-operate with the investigation. As Gen Sir Mike Jackson had said on Friday, we would ask people to help as much as possible because we wanted to get to the bottom of the issue for the sake of the army’s reputation both at home and abroad. Asked if we would expect the soldiers involved to come forward and identify themselves, the PMOS repeated that we believed everyone had a duty to co-operate. Asked who was carrying out the investigation, the PMOS said that it was being undertaken by the Special Investigations Branch (SIB).
Put to him that Gen Sir Mike Jackson’s media appearance had given credence to the authenticity of the pictures, the PMOS said that Sir Mike had gone on television with the full knowledge and approval of Downing Street. As he had made clear, the allegations were going to be investigated. Given the way the US pictures had been publicised, we had known that the ones in the Daily Mirror were going to be broadcast around the world. It had therefore been judged appropriate for Sir Mike, given his role, to get across the message that, if the pictures were genuine, then in no way did we approve of or condone such behaviour. Asked what course of action would be taken if it was discovered that the photos were fake, the PMOS said that it was better at this point to wait for the results of the investigation before going down that path. Put to him that even if the pictures were fake, the allegations might still be true, the PMOS said that he was not going to get drawn into a speculative discussion about the possible outcome of the investigation. People should exercise a little patience. He underlined once again the view of the Prime Minister and Gen Sir Mike Jackson who had said that they in no way condoned this kind of alleged action.
Asked if the Prime Minister believed that the formal reprimand which had been given to the US troops involved in the original pictures was an appropriate punishment, the PMOS said that how the US authorities dealt with their personnel was entirely a matter for them, just as it would be entirely a matter for us how we dealt with ours. The US should be allowed to get on with their investigation, just as we should be allowed to get on with ours
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