Media Release 16, February 2005

Military Families Against the War

c/o 27 Britannia Street, London, WC1X 9JP

Redcaps Press Conference - Thursday 17 February 3.30pm St James's Church 197 Picadilly London W1 

    Tomorrow the families of the six Royal Military Police killed at Al Majarr will be holding their own press conference calling for a public inquiry into the events of April 2003. Their statement responding to the report from the army Board of Inquiry into the deaths is produced below.

  For further details of the press conference and to arrange interviews with family members please contact Andrew Burgin 07939 242229    

    Press Statement  

From the families of the six Royal Military Police -murdered at Al Majarr al Kabir, Iraq 2003.

Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell   

Cpl Russell Aston               

Cpl Simon Miller

Cpl Paul Long      

Lcpl Tom Keys  

Lcpl Ben Hyde

As a family unity we totally refute the Board of Inquiry [BOI] findings that the deaths of the above brave men 'could not have been reasonably prevented'. We also do not accept that the statement given by  the BOI that the town where they were killed - Al Majarr - 'was benign'. The town of Al Majarr was in fact a powder keg waiting to explode.

Most of the senior officers involved in the above incident have been exonerated and sanitised by promotions. The families feel they displayed a cavalier attitude for the safety of the Redcaps along with a total lack of duty of care. Had such events taken place in a civilian organisation it would be a clear cut case of corporate manslaughter.

The findings by the Army that no officers are to be made accountable following a catalogue of blunders is an insult to the families of 'the six'. The Redcaps who refused to flee and held their ground though stripped of vital equipment have been refused any form of bravery award or honour even though they made the ultimate sacrifice.

The BOI recommended that some officers should face administrative action, but senior officers have overturned this decision. The families would benefit from the opportunity to have a meeting and direct response to their questions from the following officers:

Col Tom Beckett, Col Bryn Parry-Jones, Maj Chris Kemp, Capt Richard Phillips, WO1 Matthew Marley, Lt Ross Kennedy, Staff Sgt Stainton.

The families feel we are the victims of a 'whitewash' and a 'cover up' in order to protect careers of certain individuals. The assistance of the above officers to help the families with their inquiries would be greatly appreciated.

The only way forward now is for there to be a independent public inquiry into the deaths of our loved ones.

Contact information

For more information or comment, please call:
Stop the War Coalition Office
07951 593 525 or 020 7278 6694
National press officer 07939 242 229