British Airways flight 149

[Magda Hassan]

Another one for the "But they wouldn't do that to their own people, would they?" myth.

British hostages demand inquiry into Kuwait spying claims

• Press Association
  
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 October 2006 16.37 BST
  

British "human shields" taken hostage by Saddam Hussein in the first Gulf war demanded a public inquiry today into allegations that the government put their lives at risk to allow a secret operation to go ahead.They were among 367 passengers and crew seized by Iraqi troops when British Airways flight 149 landed in Kuwait hours after the invasion of the country on August 2 1990.
Their demand for an inquiry was sparked by new claims published by author Stephen Davis that the flight was being used to transport undercover agents into Kuwait.
At a press conference in the House of Commons today, crew and passengers described how around nine men joined the flight unannounced as it was delayed on the tarmac at Heathrow, then disappeared immediately after its arrival in Kuwait City.
John Major, the Conservative chancellor at the time, has previously denied rumours that the mysterious men may have been special-forces troops, insisting that no military personnel were on board.
But Mr Davis now says that he has obtained documentary evidence, along with interviews with up to six sources - including one of the men on board the plane and one of the operation's organisers - indicating that they were on a secret mission to gain intelligence on the movement of Saddam's troops.
He said that BA was wary of allowing the flight, bound for the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, to stop off in Kuwait for refuelling while Iraqi troops were massing on the border, but the airline was assured by a British embassy official that it would be safe to land.
Mr Davis alleged that this official was in fact the station chief for MI6, which was in charge of organising the operation.
Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker today wrote to the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, asking him to meet a delegation of passengers and crew to discuss their demand for an inquiry.
"The new evidence shows that the government allowed the flight to land knowing that the passengers and crew would be endangered," said Mr Baker. "They did so in order to allow a special-forces unit to disembark from the plane. It is clear that statements made to the Commons by [then prime minister] Margaret Thatcher and John Major, both in the chamber and in written communications, were misleading to say the least."
Mr Baker called for the publication of a military police report on the human shields, commissioned by Mr Major in the aftermath of the war, which has remained classified ever since.
All of the British shields were released after up to four and a half months in captivity, during which time they were held at sites thought to be likely targets for allied bombing.
Some of them said today that their lives had been profoundly damaged by the horrifying experience.
John Chappell, 30, from Stafford, said: "I was a 14-year-old schoolboy when this took place and it was apparent to me that Iraq was very likely to invade Kuwait and it wasn't a safe place to land. I was amazed when we touched down there.
"If it was apparent to me that it was not safe, how could the government not have known? I am disgusted that for 16 years my government has denied all of this. It is not on for them to treat me like this and then lie about it, and that is why I want an apology." Mr Chappell said that, while he escaped physically unharmed, he witnessed someone being shot dead and believed he was himself going to be executed when he and other hostages were driven out into the desert.
His sister Jennifer, 29, from Cannock, Staffordshire, saw Iraqi tanks driving over cars full of people trying to flee.
She said: "I was an outgoing, naive 12-year-old girl. This experience took away my innocence. My childhood ended and I have had 16 years of psychological problems as a result.
"I now have a partner and am expecting a baby and getting my life back on track, but 16 years is a long time to have nightmares."
Some 61 French passengers on board the plane won compensation worth around £50,000 each from BA, while there have also been undisclosed payouts to American passengers held as human shields.
But a case brought by the British hostages was thrown out on a technicality by the House of Lords. While most of those involved said today that their main desire was a full explanation of the reasons for their ordeal, some said they wanted financial compensation.
David Fort, 70, from Bromley, Kent, said: "I want an apology and I want compensation. Me and my partner both lost our jobs because of this and we never worked again."
Mr Davis has detailed his findings in an upcoming BBC documentary and book, The Secret of Flight 149.
He believes that the nine men on board BA149 were not serving members of the SAS, but a so-called "increment" team made up of former secret-service agents and special-forces troops recruited for missions for which the government needed complete deniability.
"There is no doubt that valuable intelligence which saved lives was gained, but these people were put through a terrible time and governments have lied about it ever since," he said. "I think it is time it stopped.
"At every stage, there has been a very determined effort for the truth about this to be suppressed."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "This was discussed in Parliament at the time in quite some detail and we've got nothing to add to what was said then."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/oct/16/iraq.iraq