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Senior UK soldier arrested over Afghan 'secrets'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Feb 4, IRNA -- A senior British Army officer has been arrested in Afghanistan for allegedly supplying sensitive civilian casualty figures to a human rights campaigner.

Lt. Col. Owen McNally, aged 48, was held in the war zone on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act, the Sun newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) was quoted saying that the officer was being returned to the UK for questioning, where his case has been referred to the Metropolitan Police.

"We can confirm that a British Army officer has been arrested in Afghanistan on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act," the MoD said in a statement. "He is being returned to the UK for questioning.

"The investigation has been referred from the MoD to the Metropolitan Police and is now under consideration. No further details will be released at this stage."

According to the Sun, Col. McNally had access to the figures through his work for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, which is running military operations across the country.

American generals in the Afghan capital Kabul were said to be furious about the allegations. It comes after Human Rights Watch last year said civilian deaths in Afghanistan from US and NATO air strikes nearly tripled to at least 1,633 between 2006 and 2007.

It is estimated that more than 1,000 innocent civilians have died each year since 2001, but human rights groups have suggested that such numbers are conservative and should be much higher.

NATO insists it always publishes information on 'collateral damage' and that it is unclear why any facts about them would need to be kept secret.

If charged, the officer will appear at the Old Bailey central criminal court in London, which hears all such Official Secrets cases. He faces a maximum sentence of 14 years if convicted.

Col. McNally joined the Army as a private in 1977 and is thought to be one of the army's most senior former non-commissioned officers after working his way up through the ranks.