A man is set to face trial for his alleged involvement in the mob killing of six British Red Cap soldiers in Iraq more than two decades ago. The military policemen, known as Red Caps, were ambushed by a group of approximately 400 people who stormed a police station in the town of Majar al-Kabir in 2003.
The Victims
The victims included Lance Cpl Ben Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire; Cpl Russell Aston, 30, of Swadlincote, Derbyshire; Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, of Chessington, Surrey; and Lance Cpl Tom Keys, 20, of Bala, North Wales. Cpl Paul Long, 24, from Hebburn, South Tyneside, also lost his life alongside Cpl Simon Miller, 21, from nearby Washington, Tyne and Wear.
Families' Grievances
The families have long argued that the deaths were avoidable. They were refused a second inquest by the European Court of Human Rights in 2019. It is reported that the soldiers had only 50 rounds of ammunition each and lacked a satellite phone to call for assistance.
Retrial Proceedings
Alaa Jabbar Khodhair was found guilty of murder in his absence by an Iraqi court last year. In March, he reportedly surrendered to authorities and challenged the verdict, leading to a retrial scheduled for May 3. The campaign for justice, led by Cpl Miller's family and the other victims' loved ones, has spanned decades. Simon's father, John, fears the retrial will be a "complete farce" given the failure of previous prosecutions.
John told the Mirror that the identities of those responsible were known to the authorities and the army. He revealed that a note containing the names of the killers was slipped through his letterbox in a black envelope from an anonymous source just months after the tragedy. He stated: "I have hounded the MoD to find out what was going on with this investigation. I went to the MoD last June and they said they were chasing the Iraqi authorities. They never gave any tangible evidence of that. I received a letter last August saying that a man had been tried in his absence for being part of the mob and found guilty of murder."
John added: "There were six names which dropped in an envelope through my door not long after the incident. Someone had a conscience and wanted to let me know who was responsible. That was around 2004, and it gave me the names of the people involved. But the MoD kept telling me that in Iraq, people use multiple names and so they always have to be checked. The man found guilty in his absence has now handed himself in to demand a retrial. So that is what is happening now."
He expressed his despair: "My son was murdered in the most heinous manner imaginable. With respect to the upcoming court case, we have seen similar proceedings before. I fear the worst and have no trust in the courts to deliver justice. I believe the trial will be a farce where witnesses will appear and claim they didn't see him there, it wasn't him."
Trump Controversy
John and his wife Marilyn, aged 74 and 66 respectively, also expressed fury over remarks made by Donald Trump last year, in which he claimed the British military had "stayed back from the frontline" in Afghanistan. John, a former soldier who served in the Gulf and Germany, said Trump's words felt like "being struck with a knife that twisted again." Despite Trump later issuing a statement praising UK forces, John noted that the absence of an apology was a further insult to him and the families of the 636 UK service personnel who died in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Simon's elder brother, Jon, 46, continues to serve with the military police after more than two decades of service. John remarked: "We are very lucky that Jon came back."
MoD Statement
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence expressed its desire to see justice for the deaths of the six Red Cap soldiers. "The trial is under the jurisdiction of the Iraqi court and while we have local legal representation and have offered support and updates to the families, we do not have an active role in the process. Family members are entitled to representation at the trial as the next of kin of the victims."
