Claims British troops abused bodies of dead Iraqis are 'baseless', says colonel The Ministry of Defence denies the claims, saying those who died were killed on the battlefield, and that bodies handed back were those that had been removed from the battlefield and taken back to CAN. Col Griffiths admitted the order to take bodies back to the base was "highly unusual" but must have been for a good reason - it has previously been suggested the order was given because it was thought the insurgents included someone responsible for the murder of six Red Caps in Iraq the previous year. But Col Griffiths said he did not, and had never, believed rumours that troops had mutilated bodies before they were handed back to relatives. In a statement to the inquiry, he said: "I did not believe any of our soldiers had mutilated a body and I did not see at the time, and have not seen since, any evidence to support this proposition. I thought then, and I still think now, that the rumours were baseless and caused by a combination of ignorance amongst the local population as to the traumatic injuries that can be suffered in combat and the misinformation spread by insurgents who wished to discredit the coalition forces. On May 14 the then Major Griffith's rover group was travelling back from Camp Condor to CAN in two Snatch Land Rovers when they were ambushed several times by Iraqi insurgents. He said he had not requested extra help from CAN, but later discovered a Quick Reaction Force had been dispatched from the base. The rover group was attacked three times, twice close to the Danny Boy checkpoint, he said, by Iraqis using AK-47s, RPGs and what appeared to be a Howitzer gun, in what he thought were "organised" and "coordinated" attacks. The rover group arrived at CAN at around 5.30pm, and Col Griffiths was told that there was an order to bring the bodies of dead Iraqis back to CAN. He initially questioned the order, he said, as it was so unusual but said: "I don't remember discussing it really at the time. We just did it because there must have been a reason for it. If anything it would have come from brigade. He saw bodies at close range back at camp and said: "I did not observe anything that appeared to be inconsistent with battlefield injuries. I can recall that some of the limbs must have been broken as they were sticking out at unnatural angles. Injuries of this type can be caused by 5.56 and 7.62mm ammunition. The inquiry is the second probe into the claims after an earlier Royal Military Police inquiry was judged inadequate by high court judges following a legal battle by several Iraqis who claim they were abused by British troops after the firefight. Col Griffiths was questioned on criticisms he had previously made of the RMP, saying the detachment at CAN was "slow and incompetent." He told the inquiry that the RMP should have moved quicker, saying he did not give his statement to them until August, after returning from Iraq. It frustrates me that we had to come off leave after the tour to give statements and reopen at this difficult time. Because although we are trained soldiers, it is not an enjoyable experience to go through every time. The inquiry continues.