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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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June 3rd, 2006 - Troops Cleared of
Iraq Wrongdoing |
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Troops Cleared of Iraq Wrongdoing BBC News June 3, 2006 A US military investigation
has found there was no misconduct by US troops over Iraqi civilian deaths in
the town of Ishaqi, a spokesman says. Maj Gen William Caldwell
said reports that troops "executed" a family during a raid on a
house in March and tried to cover it up were "absolutely false". Questions over the 11 deaths
in Ishaqi come amid a Pentagon inquiry into a bigger alleged massacre in
Haditha. The US has announced extra
training in moral and ethical values for troops. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri
Maliki has criticised coalition forces for what he describes as habitual
attacks against civilians. News in the US this week has
been dominated by discussion of the investigations in Iraq, the BBC's Adam
Brookes reports from Washington. The Bush administration has
had an exceptionally difficult time focusing public attention on what it says
is the progress being made by the new Iraqi government, our correspondent
says. ‘Correct procedures’ A report filed by Iraqi
police accused US troops of rounding up and deliberately shooting 11 people
in the house in Ishaqi, including five children and four women, before
blowing up the building. Maj Gen Caldwell said the US
investigation into events in Ishaqi, where the military says it was attempting
to capture insurgents, had found no wrongdoing on the part of the troops. Four bodies including that
of an insurgent were found after the raid while up to nine "collateral
deaths" resulted from the US raid, according to the investigation. It added that a precise
death toll could not be determined because of collapsed walls and debris. All the correct procedures
were followed when troops came under fire as they approached the house, Maj
Gen Caldwell said. "The investigation
revealed the ground force commander, while capturing and killing terrorists,
operated in accordance with the rules of engagement governing our combat
forces in Iraq," he added. "Allegations that the
troops executed a family living in this safe house, and then hid the alleged
crimes by directing an air strike, are absolutely false." The outcome of the Pentagon
investigation emerged a day after the BBC released video footage that appears
to show the aftermath of US action in Ishaqi, about 100km (60 miles) north of
Baghdad. ‘Violence commonplace’ The video tape obtained by
the BBC shows a number of dead adults and children at the site with what our
world affairs editor John Simpson says were clearly gunshot wounds. The pictures came from a
hardline Sunni group opposed to coalition forces. It has been cross-checked
with other images taken at the time of events and is believed to be genuine. Other probes are being
carried out into the alleged massacre at Haditha, and also into claims that
an Iraqi man was deliberately killed on 26 April in Hamdaniya - and that the
circumstances were covered up. Seven marines and a navy sailor are being held
over the claims. The Iraqi government has
also launched an investigation into the alleged massacre at Haditha, where
eyewitnesses claim US marines shot dead 24 civilians after a roadside bomb
attack in November. Mr Maliki said he would ask
the US for the investigative files into the incident. Violence against civilians
was "common among many of the multinational forces", he added. Many troops had "no
respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a
hunch", he added. US Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld said on Friday that 99.9% of US forces conducted "themselves in
an exemplary manner". External link:
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m23752&l=i&size=1&hd=0 |