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Harriet Harman says the government exchanged wholly inappropriate emails with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Photograph: Natasha Quarmby/REX/Shutterstock

The government has been accused of undermining the rule of law by putting pressure on an independent regulator in its action against a legal firm pursuing claims of human rights abuses involving British troops in Iraq.

The former deputy leader of the Labour party, Harriet Harman, has called for the release of any emails that would reveal whether the ministries of justice and defence attempted to influence the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to act against Leigh Day. The human rights firm has been involved in many high-profile cases against British soldiers and has referred a number of them to the controversial Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), now being wound up.

Earlier this year, the firm, two of its senior partners, Martyn Day and Sapna Malik, and a junior lawyer, were cleared by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal of any wrongdoing over claims they had made against British troops. The MoD said it was disappointed with the verdict which, if it had gone the other way, could have been fatal for the firm.

Now in an extraordinary intervention, Harman has written to the attorney general, Jeremy Wright, claiming that the governments pressure on the Solicitors Regulation Authority to takedisciplinary action against Martyn Day and Sapna Malik of Leigh Day was an action which undermined the rule of law.

The SRAs case against Leigh Day was launched following the Al-Sweady inquiry into claims that British soldiers tortured and murdered Iraqi detainees following the battle of Danny Boy in 2004. It concluded that the allegations were wholly without foundation although it did find that nine Iraqi detainees had been mistreated.

Phil Shiner from Public Interest Lawyers, who represented a number of the detainees, was found guilty of 22 charges of misconduct and struck off.

The tribunal hearing the case against Leigh Day was told that 276 pieces of correspondence were exchanged between the MoD and the SRA. In several, defence ministers urged civil servants to contact the SRA to seek updates on the firms prosecutions.

Senior officials at the authority replied, and its chief executive, Paul Philip, wrote directly to the defence secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, on at least one occasion. In several emails, SRA employees explained to MoD officials that they were unhappy with the way legal services were being regulated. Dr Ben Sanders, assistant head of responsibilities for public law and historic investigations at the MoD, responded to one: I am sure ministers here will wish to be supportive.

The counsel for Leigh Day, Patricia Robertson, suggested to Sanders that the correspondence showed a clear relationship between the SRA and theMoD. Robertson said: Taking all of that material as a whole what we find here is the SRA using these disciplinary proceedings as a platform for lobbying the government for regulatory reform and also enlisting support from the MoD in that objective. Thats what we see in those exchanges isnt it?

Sanders replied: Yes, I would say that seems a fair characterisation.

The tribunal ruled that the authority must disclose all its correspondence with the MoD, MoJ, IHAT and the House of Commons defence sub-committee to the relevant parties. But it has not been made public.

Harman has asked the attorney general to publish all the correspondence including any alleged MoJ/SRA emails, which she claims were wholly inappropriate and designed and perceived to subject the SRA to pressure.

Before the tribunal, Leigh Day was subjected to fierce criticism in parliament. Fallon said that the Al-Sweady inquiry was a completely unacceptable attempt to abuse our legal system to falsely impugn our armed forces.

And David Cameron, then prime minister, declared that Leigh Day has questions to answer, not least because it was deeply involved in the Al-Sweady inquiry.

Having your own government attacking you for doing your job as a lawyer crosses an important line and is something which has the potential for severe consequences for society, Martyn Day told the Observer this weekend.

We fully expect the Ministry of Defence to defend claims against it robustly, but there is a line to be drawn when it moves away from the claims and denigrates, in parliament, the lawyers who have been instructed to bring those claims. It would be a very sad day if British lawyers became too scared to take on the UK government, on behalf of individuals in this country and overseas, over issues which are essential to basic human rights.

In her letter to Wright, Harman said: It is quite wrong for the government to seek to dictate to the SRA who they should be taking action against. It is invidious for the government to denounce solicitors who are representing claimants who believe that their rights have been violated by the government.

A MoJ spokesman said: We fully respect the important and independent role the SRA plays in upholding standards in the legal profession. We are aware of the letter and are investigating further.

However, early investigations have uncovered no evidence to support these claims.

Original post:
Ministers 'undermined law' over Iraq war crimes allegations - The Guardian

OBERLIN - In 2004, Amherst native Adam McCann enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

While on tour in Iraq in April 2005, he was injured when debris from mortar explosion hit his neck and legs while conducting a mission.

Upon his return to Ohio, McCann faced a road of recovery.

His injuries led to a Purple Heart Award and a discharge from his days of service.

McCann was looking for ways to stay in shape without further injuring himself and found cycling. McCann realized that the fluid motion of mountain biking did not further damage his ligaments or tendons that were wounded in combat.

"I realized that I could actually cycle and found it relaxing," McCann said. "There was no pounding or stress put on the parts of my legs that were injured."

It was through this passion that McCann met former president George W. Bush.

The former president's foundation hosts a 'Military Service Initiative', hosts a Warrior 100 kilometer mountain bike ride each year. The ride, which honors wounded warriors from the military, gives veterans the chance to meet other men and women who stood on the front lines - as well as meet the former president himself.

McCann was invited to the ride for the first time after his discharge from the Marine Corps. and met George W. Bush.

He then continued his relationship with Bush by volunteering at other Warrior bike rides, helping the organization bring in and host new groups of veterans.

After meeting the former president several times and building a more personal relationship with him, McCann has a permanent place in Bush's legacy.

He is featured in Bush's Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors book, released this year. His portrait is seen on page 185 of the book and was based on a photograph sent into Bush.

Photo courtesy of Adam McCann

"President Bush really cared and really wanted to know about the stories of myself and others that had been wounded," McCann said. "He cared about the impact of the decisions he made during his presidency and cared about our stories... I think this is his way of giving back."

McCann currently lives in Oberlin. In October, he is traveling to Texas to see his portrait for the first time in person. He has a copy of the book and received a copy of his painting, but has yet to see it in person.

Read this article:
A local veteran wounded in Iraq is featured in President Bush's book - News 5 Cleveland

The Hindu

Why is Iran growing its presence in Iraq? The Hindu After the U.S. withdrew its troops from Iraq in 2011, Baghdad became increasingly dependent on Tehran on various avenues, from trade to security, which raised Iran's global profile. Iran established a Shia corridor stretching from Tehran through ... Iran vows full support for IraqXinhua all 7 news articles »

Go here to read the rest:
Why is Iran growing its presence in Iraq? - The Hindu

TheSpec.com

No peace yet in Iraq or Syria TheSpec.com People walk through a damaged neighbourhood as the sun sets on the west side of Mosul, Iraq. U.S -backed forces succeeded in wresting Mosul from the Islamic State group but at the cost of enormous destruction. The nine-month fight culminated in a ... and more »

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No peace yet in Iraq or Syria - TheSpec.com

QARAQOSH, Iraq In a town ravaged by the war against Islamic State, amid ransacked homes and shuttered shops, a flashing sign above the entrance to one business beckons visitors: Welcome, it reads.

Inside, the floors are carpeted, the lights are low and the gurgling sound of water pipes accompanies hushed conversations between men drinking beer in small groups.

It is the first bar to reopen since Islamic State militants were routed from the northern Iraqi town of Qaraqosh nine months ago in the early stages of a campaign to retake Mosul, around 10 miles west.

The customers are mainly local Christians tentatively returning home three years after fleeing en masse when the jihadists overran their town and issued an ultimatum: pay a tax, convert to Islam, or die.

Some of the bars patrons, however, are Muslims, savoring the freedom to drink and smoke, which they were denied under Islamic State.

They come here for respite from the grim realities of the conflict, but for Muslim and Christian customers alike, the conversation soon turns to the war and its aftermath.

Its hard to forget that until now there are people under the rubble, said 45-year-old Abu Khalid, a Muslim from Mosul, sharing a bottle of lemon flavored vodka with two friends in the mid-afternoon.

Why do we drink? So we can release our problems, he said, wearing traditional Arab dress. Alcohol loosens the tongue.

Iraq declared victory in Mosul last week, but it will take longer for people to recover from Islamic States occupation.

Many lost relatives, homes and livelihoods and reconciliation between different communities is a major challenge.

An Indian man has been filmed casually strumming his guitar...

For Christians, who trace their history in Iraq back two millennia, Islamic State has called into question the very future of their community in the predominantly Muslim Middle East.

The owner of the bar, Abu Firas, hopes that re-opening it will breathe life back into his town and help reverse the exodus of its Christian population.

He has covered up bullet marks in the wall with posters advertising beer and filled in a large hole the militants made behind the kitchen sink, which enabled them to move undetected into the shop next door.

Day by day it (business) is getting better, he said optimistically. Although Islamic State is expected to revert to insurgent tactics like bombings as its caliphate falls apart, Abu Firas is undaunted: We are not afraid, he said.

Around 400 families have now returned to Qaraqosh also known as Hamdaniya which was the largest Christian settlement in Iraq until Islamic State took over, with a population of more than 50,000.

I love my town. I want it to go back to the way it was, said a Christian customer who sat with three friends taking a break from repairing homes torched by the militants.

The 49-year-old returned to Iraq 15 days ago from Europe, where he fled after Islamic States invasion. I havent decided whether to go back to France or stay here, said the man, who asked to remain unnamed.

His main concern is security, but it is not Islamic State that worries him. The danger, he says, is of violence between rival paramilitary groups that now patrol the streets of Qaraqosh and the surrounding area. Last week, two Christian militias clashed in the town.

On a more positive note, the customer said the presence of Muslims in the bar showed that peaceful co-existence with Christians was still possible.

He later admitted, however, that trust between the two communities was broken because many Sunni Muslims from the surrounding villages had supported Islamic State.

The bar is open to outsiders only until 8 p.m. After that, just Christians are welcome.

See the article here:
Bar re-opens in Iraq town previously overrun by ISIS - New York Post