THE death of an Iraqi receptionist after being detained by the British army could act as a “rallying call” for extremists, an inquiry heard.

Baha Mousa, 26, died while detained by soldiers from the former Queen’s Lancashire Regiment in Basra, southern Iraq, in September 2003.

A wide-ranging inquiry into his death and the British Army’s use of so-called conditioning techniques to “soften up” prisoners for interrogation started yesterday.

In an opening statement Gerard Elias QC, counsel to the inquiry, said the “gravity and importance” of these matters “required little explanation”.

Mr Elias added: “Such an event can act as a rallying cry for extremists, with all the pressures that that puts on those men and women still on active service.”

The inquiry heard that UK troops subjected the Iraqis to humiliating and banned abuse, including making them scream in an “orchestrated choir” and forcing one to dance like Michael Jackson, the inquiry heard.

Mr Mousa died at about 10pm on September 15 2003 after a “struggle” with Cpl Donald Payne and another soldier, Private Aaron Cooper, the hearing was told.

His injuries may have been inflicted “with a greater degree of deliberation” than was previously thought, it heard.

He sustained 93 separate injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken nose.

His 22-year-old wife had died of cancer shortly before his detention, meaning his two young sons, Hussein and Hassan, were orphaned.

The Ministry of Defence agreed in July last year to pay £2.83million in compensation to the families of Mr Mousa and nine other Iraqi men mistreated by British troops.

Mr Elias said witnesses reported Cpl Payne was trying to restrain Mr Mousa by putting his knee on the detainee’s back and pulling his arm back to put plastic handcuffs on him before he died.

He went on: “It has been suggested that Baha Mousa’s head was banged on the floor or wall as this was happening.

“But statements to this inquiry now suggest perhaps a greater degree of deliberation than has hitherto been described.”

Different pathologists gave the cause of Mr Mousa’s death as either asphyxia and multiple injuries or asphyxia alone.

Cpl Payne became the first member of the British Armed Forces to admit a war crime when he pleaded guilty to inhumanely treating civilians at a court martial in September 2006.

He was dismissed from the Army and sentenced to one year in a civilian jail.

Six other soldiers who faced the court martial were all cleared on all counts in March 2007.

Proceeding.