LABOUR MP Tam Dalyell yesterday called for a Government investigation into allegations that members of a Scottish regiment committed war crimes against Iraqi prisoners during the Gulf war.
The MP's call came as the Ministry of Defence confirmed that an investigation was under way into allegations of war crimes against soldiers who served with the Royal Highland Fusiliers during the conflict in 1991.
The allegations, understood to have been made by a former NCO with the regiment, are thought to include claims that Iraqi prisoners were starved, tortured, and humiliated by RHF soldiers guarding them in a prisoner of war camp.
A reason for the alleged crimes is said to be that RHF soldiers were enraged at having to guard the Iraqi PoWs instead of being posted to the front line during the conflict in 1991.
Mr Dalyell, MP for Linlithgow, said yesterday that he had contacted Defence Secretary Michael Portillo's office directly demanding an inquiry into the allegations.
The MP, who has a long history of interest in defence matters, said he had been told three years ago during a visit to Baghdad that there had been ``some misbehaviour'' by a ``British unit'' towards Iraqi PoWs and that Scots may have been involved.
The MP said he did nothing about it at the time. ``I thought there was no point in stirring up trouble on the basis of hearsay. This was second-hand information. I didn't have any specific details.
``I was also told that Iraqi PoWs had had a lot of generous treatment at the hands of the British, particularly medical care,'' Mr Dalyell said.
``However, now that these allegations of maltreatment have emerged involving a British Army unit I feel there has to be a serious inquiry.''
The MP met several Iraqi Ministers during his visit, which was aimed at establishing the extent of problems of disease and starvation affecting Iraqis in the Tigris and Euphrates valleys following the war.
About 650 members of the RHF, which recruits mainly from Glasgow and Ayrshire, served in the Gulf. The regiment is at present based at Fallingbostel, in Germany.
Last night it emerged that the claims might be no more than part of a long-standing grudge against the regiment held by a former Warrant Officer, who has since retired from the Army.
It was revealed that the NCO, who never served in the Gulf and was stationed at the regiment's headquarters at Oakington Barracks, near Cambridge, at the time of the war, had moved from the RHF to the Adjutant General's Corps in what was seen as a highly unusual move.
Most soldiers consider their regiment as a kind of tribal unit and to transfer voluntarily to another is virtually unheard of. This could suggest that the man had deeply disliked serving with the RHF and had vowed to ``get even''.
The NCO, who is understood to come from Glasgow, has already made allegations of financial irregularities within the RHF.
A Ministry spokesman confirmed yesterday that war crime allegations had been made concerning the RHF although he refused to go into detail.
He said: ``A former soldier has made a whole series of allegations about his former regiment. Among those are allegations of war crimes during the Gulf war.''
The spokesman said the soldier had also made separate allegations about maladministration in the regiment during the conflict. These have been investigated and found to have ``no substance''.
The spokesman said allegations of war crimes by members of British forces were treated extremely seriously.
``The allegations of war crimes are being thoroughly investigated. Because of the complexity of the situation and the fact many of the soldiers involved have since left, it is taking time. At this point there is no evidence to substantiate the allegations made.''
A spokesman for the regiment said yesterday: ``We are not making any comment at present.''
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