No one can accuse the British Army of running amok in Iraq in the summer of 2003, a time when violence on a scale never foreseen erupted against the occupying forces. There were, however, a number of disturbing incidents in which Iraqi civilians were beaten to death or abused.

The history of warfare is peppered with ignoble acts as well as deeds of extraordinary valour and sacrifice. It is the unwelcome price that has to be paid for training young men to go into battle to fight and kill the enemy.

The killing of Baha Musa, in particular, was an act of such gross wickedness that, as Brigadier Robert Aitken has acknowledged, it besmirched the fine reputation of the whole of the British Army.

However remiss the predeployment training, however forgetful commanders may have been about what was acceptable under the Geneva conventions, the soldiers who inflicted the injuries on Mr Musa must have known that what they were doing was wrong.

There is no question that in the period after the combat phase was formally declared to be over by George Bush on May 1, 2003, Iraq was hit by a level of anarchy that took everyone by surprise.

British forces began to suffer casualties regularly. Some of the units fought fixed-bayonet battles and individual soldiers, often just teenagers, displayed courage and determination beyond their years and experience.

Even in the turmoil of that period it was the innate sense of discipline as well as professionalism and training that helped the Army to cope. This is why it is so difficult to understand how some soldiers could have betrayed their profession and their colleagues.

Discipline has to come from the top. It is the responsibility of the senior commanders to make sure that the men under their command behave in accordance with the law and with the rules of armed conflict.

The commanding officers should be reminded of the words of General Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the Army, who wrote in April 2005: “Supervision down to the lowest level is key to the success of our command style. Some turn a blind eye when they know something is wrong and, in so doing, their own stock of moral courage is further diminished, as are our overall standards.”

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