As an ex British soldier who has served in war zones, I am rather dismayed to read this report from the BBC regarding the treatment of Iraqi prisoners of war.

"Changes are needed to rectify serious flaws in the training UK soldiers get to deal with Iraqi prisoners, senior army officer Brig Robert Aitken says.
In a report he also said some changes had already been made, and he found no evidence of systemic abuse by soldiers."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7208273.stm

Do the government ministers and others, who make these reports, have ANY idea what soldiers (British or otherwise) have to endure in a war zone?
Have they any idea the effect is has on a man, to witness the horrendous things that one man can inflict upon another?

I cannot, and will not, ever condone mans inhumanity to fellow man - but this is a WAR for heavens sake. I know from first hand experience that the supposed "Mistreatment" of Iraqi prisoners of war is NOTHING compared to the inhumanities inflicted on the British and American troops in that warzone!

I think that's the point of the need for special training, precisely BECAUSE war has such a powerful effect on the human psyche. The young soldier needs to be as prepared as possible for what kind of horrors he'll face and exactly how he should behave re prisoners and in many other situations esp. with people of other cultures.
It's good to see that the army is receptive to amendment and has already made some recent effective changes.

To admit the need for such extra training does not reflect negatively on anyone, quite the opposite.