16.3 |
Military fatalities and the bereaved
96.
On 4 July,
Mr Ian Gibson, MOD Deputy Director Service Personnel, sent an
update
on progress
on BOIs and investigations to Mr Hoon’s
Office.66
The update
detailed
43 fatalities
resulting from 21 incidents. Only one BOI, into the loss of a Sea
King
helicopter
with six UK Service Personnel on board on 22 March, had so far
reported.
A date
for the inquest had not yet been set.
97.
Later that
month, Mr Gibson sent Mr Hoon’s Office a paper describing
military
investigative
and BOI processes, which highlighted the different approaches
taken
by the
Services.67
The Royal
Navy and RAF would generally launch a BOI as soon
as an
incident occurred, at the same time as they deployed a criminal
investigative
team (if
they thought that one was required). In contrast, the Army would
only launch
a BOI after
an investigative team had reported. The MOD was considering the
scope
for
harmonising the Services’ approaches to BOIs as part of the
Tri‑Service Armed
Forces Act.
98.
Mr Ingram’s
Private Secretary wrote to ACM Bagnall on 15
September:
“Minister
(AF) [Mr Ingram] is concerned about the increasing perception
amongst
next of kin
(and as a consequence Parliamentarians) that investigations into
the
deaths of
personnel in Iraq lack focus and are taking too long. Families also
have
the
impression that they are not kept informed of progress, however
modest.
These are
admittedly perceptions, but most investigations seem
slow.”68
99.
While
Mr Ingram understood the complications arising from the
roulement of
formations
and the operational situation:
“Nonetheless,
he feels that we need to strengthen our ‘grip’ on these
sensitive
issues, to
ensure that corporate memory is preserved, that investigations
are
prosecuted
as vigorously as possible, and that the flow of information to
NOK
[next of
kin] is actively managed. This may best be done through the
DCMO
[Defence
Crisis Management Organisation].”
100.
Mr Ingram’s
Private Secretary asked for advice on how that “central
management”
of the
process might be achieved.
101.
ACM Bagnall
received advice in September and October on how the
MOD’s
investigative
processes might be improved.
102.
Major General
Richard Shirreff, Chief of Staff LAND, advised ACM Bagnall
on
24
September that the key to accelerating RMP/SIB investigations in
Iraq was more
66
Minute
Gibson to APS/Secretary of State [MOD], 4 July 2003,
‘Investigations into Op TELIC
UK Service
Personnel and UK Civilian Deaths’.
67
Minute
Gibson to APS/Secretary of State [MOD], 17 July 2003,
‘Investigations into Op TELIC
UK Service
Personnel and UK Civilian Deaths: Procedures for Service
Deaths’.
68
Minute
PS/Min(AF) [MOD] to MA/VCDS, 15 September 2003, ‘TELIC Incidents:
Investigations’.
95