Why I refuse to wear a red poppy, wearing white instead

Evidence of the alleged systematic and brutal mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at a secret British military interrogation centre that is being described as "the UK's Abu Ghraib" emerged yesterday during high court proceedings brought by more than 200 former inmates.

The court was told there was evidence that detainees were starved, deprived of sleep, subjected to sensory deprivation and threatened with execution at the shadowy facilities near Basra operated by the Joint Forces Interrogation Team, or JFIT.

It also received allegations that JFIT's prisoners were beaten, forced to kneel in stressful positions for up to 30 hours at a time, and that some were subjected to electric shocks. Some of the prisoners say that they were subject to sexual humiliation by women soldiers, while others allege that they were held for days in cells as small as one metre square.

Michael Fordham QC, for the former inmates, said the question needed to be asked: "Is this Britain's Abu Ghraib?"

The evidence of abuse is emerging weeks after defence officials admitted that British soldiers and airmen are suspected of being responsible for the murder and manslaughter of a number of Iraqi civilians, in addition to the high-profile case of Baha Mousa, the hotel receptionist tortured to death by troops in September 2003. One man is alleged to have been kicked to death aboard an RAF helicopter, while two others died after being held for questioning.

Last month the Guardian disclosed that for several years after the death of Mousa, the British military continued training interrogators in techniques that include threats, sensory deprivation and enforced nakedness, in an apparent breach of the Geneva conventions. Trainee interrogators were told they should aim to provoke humiliation, disorientation, exhaustion, anxiety and fear in the prisoners they are questioning.

I agree that is ****ed up and those people involved should be disciplined accordingly. But I still respect those in the army. ****, I respect anyone who actually puts their own lives on the job like that. I know I wouldn't have the guts.

Dickheads! I bet this is quite an occurence during war. On the flipside I know I'm going to get alot of hate from this but theres been people who've been captured by Muslims soldiers after their release claim how well they were treated like one of them - as its instructed in the Qur'an to do when captured a prisoner of war.

And, there's also been people captured by self-styled Muslims soldiers who have been beheaded in front of a camera.

So, basically, because of one incident - you won't be wearing a poppy? War isn't always going to be holding hands and singing Kumbaya.