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Here we go again
Man held over Iraq abuse claims
Military police have arrested a man after pictures allegedly showing UK troops abusing Iraqi civilians were published in a UK newspaper.
The Ministry of Defence said the man was detained on Sunday evening, after the News of the World carried images it said came from a video taken in 2004.
Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie called for an "immediate and rapid investigation".
A Downing Street spokesman said the claims would be taken very seriously.
The MoD refused to confirm if the arrested man was a serving soldier or where the arrest was made.
A spokesman said he was detained at 2018 GMT, adding that the investigation was at a very early stage.
'Abhorrence'
Earlier, a Downing Street spokesman said it was important to keep the latest abuse claims in perspective.
He said 80,000 soldiers had served in the country since 2003, but this was only the sixth to involve allegations of deliberate abuse of Iraqi civilians.
"No one is trying to play down allegations of this kind, but it is important to keep it in perspective," he said.
He added that it was important to show the public in Iraq and the UK that the government "abhors" any kind of abuse.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was in South Africa at the weekend for a summit on poverty and development, promised on Sunday the claims would be investigated.
'Tragic'
Mr Rubaie said the allegations, if they were true, were "not acceptable".
He called for Iraqis to take part in the investigation, adding that any soldiers found to be responsible "must compensate those victims and apologise to them directly".
UK troops could face a backlash
The News of the World, which published the pictures, said they came from a "secret home video" taken outside a military compound in the south of the country.
Soldiers were shown beating and kicking youths in an attack which is said to last for one minute, with 42 blows counted.
The video images have been carried by satellite news channels the Middle East, but an Army spokesman in Basra said there had not yet been any recriminations on the streets.
Basra City Council chief Mohammed al-Abadi said local leaders wanted quick action and assurances that Iraqis would not be "humiliated further".
Right now the reaction doesn't seem that bad, but it hasn't been out for too long I guess.
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