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Al-Sweady inquiry opens into Iraq abuse allegations

By Sharon Black

MoD rejects allegations British soldiers killed 20 unarmed civilians and abused others detained after battle north of Basra Allegations that British soldiers killed 20 unarmed civilians and abused others detained after a battle with Shia insurgents north of Basra in 2004 – the most serious allegations made against British soldiers in Iraq – are the subject of a public inquiry that opens on Monday. The al-Sweady inquiry – named after the family of Hamid, an alleged victim aged 19 – was forced on the Ministry of Defence in 2009 after high court judges accused it of “lamentable” behaviour and “serious breaches” of its duty of candour

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Rockets fired at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan

By Sharon Black

Helmand province base comes under attack, but Ministry of Defence says no casualties reported Insurgents have launched a rocket attack on the main coalition military base in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. The heavily fortified Camp Bastion, which accommodates up to 4,000 UK, American, Danish and Estonian troops, was targeted at about 6.30pm local time as darkness fell

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Royal Marines murder charges dropped

By Sharon Black

The pair of soldiers were among a group of five due to face accusations of killing a captured Afghan national Murder charges against two Royal Marines accused of killing a captured Afghan national have been dropped, it emerged tonight.

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Two British servicemen shot dead by rogue Afghan soldier, inquest hears

By Sharon Black

Sergeant Luke Taylor and Lance Corporal Michael Foley killed by Afghan National Army soldier with a personal grievance Two British servicemen were shot dead by a rogue Afghan soldier with a personal grievance, their inquest has heard. Sergeant Luke Taylor, 33, of the Royal Marines, and Lance Corporal Michael Foley, 25, of the Adjutant General’s Corps, were killed at their forward operating base in Lashkar Gah on 26 March last year. Their inquest in Oxford heard the Afghan was waiting outside the base with other men to collect a VIP.

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I survived the bombing of Dresden and continue to believe it was a war crime | Victor Gregg

By Sharon Black

As a prisoner of war held in Dresden, I still suffer the memories of those terrible events and my anger refuses to subside I wasn’t new to murder and bloodletting. I had enlisted two years prior to the outbreak of the second world war and by the time I was 21 I had taken part in one major battle and various smaller ones. I had been in fights where the ground in front of me was littered with the remains of young men who had once been full of the joy of living, laughing and joking with their mates

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Letters: Blinkered view of the first world war

By Sharon Black

As a historian, I initially wondered whether your report was a Guardian April fool ( Poignant kickabout that captured futility of conflict to be replayed for WW1 centenary , 9 February). Only a specially selected bunch of conservative academics and generals would think of celebrating the military genius that organised the Somme, Passchendaele and Dardanelles campaigns

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Nearly 450 British military drones lost in Iraq and Afghanistan

By Sharon Black

Ministry of Defence releases figures for crashes, breakdowns and missing vehicles, including loss of half of Hermes 450 fleet Almost 450 drones operated by the British military have crashed, broken down or been lost in action during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last five years, figures reveal. The Ministry of Defence has disclosed for the first time the five Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems used in the conflicts and the number that have perished due to pilot error, technical faults or the undesirability of retrieving them from hostile areas. The figures highlight the military’s increasing reliance on technologies that are regarded as a way of minimising risks to frontline troops.

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Kickabout that captured futility of first world war to be replayed for centenary

By Sharon Black

Exclusive: Christmas truce matches to be recreated on Belgian battlefield in 2014, with £50m set aside for school trips and exhibitions Britain’s plans for commemorating the centenary of the first world war include recreating the football match played against German troops to mark the Christmas truce which remains one of the most poignant moments of the conflict. The proposal is one of a number of initiatives being supported by ministers in anticipation of public interest in a war during which 956,000 members of the British army were killed, including 250,000 from countries which were then part of the Empire