Posted on 11/17/2004 1:47:01 PM PST by johnny7
HUMAN rights groups said today the killing by a US marine of a wounded Iraqi could amount to a war crime and showed the need for US forces to be better trained about the laws of war. "If it is what it appears to be, then obviously it would be a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions. It would probably be a war crime," said Joe Stork, Washington director of the Middle East division of Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International echoed calls by the top UN human rights official, Louise Arbour, for an investigation of suspected abuses in Fallujah, Iraq, including the disproportionate use of force and targeting of civilians. The US military has launched an investigation after NBC pool footage showed a US marine shooting a wounded and unarmed man in a mosque in Fallujah, the scene of fierce fighting in the past week. NBC said the marine had been shot in the face the day before, and his fellow soldiers have spoken out in his defence, saying he was under combat stress in unpredictable, dangerous circumstances.
Amnesty International spokesman Alistair Hodgett said investigations into other incidents in Iraq had been too slow and he urged a prompt, open, inquiry, after which findings should be made public. "The deliberate shooting of unarmed and wounded fighters who pose no immediate threat is a war crime under international law and there is therefore an obligation on the US authorities to investigate all such reports and to hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable before the law," said Amnesty. Amnesty International had already called on US authorities to investigate an earlier incident aired on British television in which a US soldier appeared to have fired one shot in the direction of a wounded insurgent. Mr Hodgett said Amnesty was particularly concerned US military leaders had not properly communicated legal obligations to forces on the ground about the treatment of wounded prisoners and the protection of civilians. "This latest incident is just a further reminder that one cannot take it for granted that troops on the ground will strive to abide by the spirit and the letter of the law if they are not given leadership on that matter," he said.
Of particular concern, said Mr Hodgett, were comments in the past by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld calling "war on terror" suspects "killers" and "the worst of the worst". "Sadly I think some of the consequences of this (attitude) have played out on the battlefield," Mr Hodgett said. The Fallujah shooting incident followed others in which US troops have been accused of violations in Iraq, including the Abu Ghraib prison scandal that resulted in the sentencing of several US soldiers.
Military law expert Eugene Fidell said he was uncomfortable linking the latest incident to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal where soldiers were accused of sexually abusing and mistreating prisoners. "But if the facts are as they appear to be, this is a matter that cannot be swept under the rug. If it leads to a careful evaluation of the training and instructions that the marines and the Army in Iraq have had, that will be extremely desirable," said Mr Fidell, a visiting lecturer at Harvard Law School.
Mr Fidell said he anticipated a general-court martial in which the suspect could be sentenced to death or life without parole if found guilty, but added that was highly unlikely because of extenuating circumstances.
We need to dump the Geneva Convention, Americans are naturally kind enough to their prisoners without threatening laws hanging over their heads.
I don't like seeing our troops and their morale, future, and lives, at risk because they are tied to a treaty that no one but us upholds.
I didn't know that. I will buy in Sears.
I want to see them go after the inbred reporter who knew the circumstances of the mosque and those inside and DIDN'T bother to inform the Marine squad.
IMO, it is Sites who should be brought up on charges, if any are to be levied.
Hey Joe, Get your head out of your... er sand.
I can't believe the overreaction to this. This was not an "atrocity". It was not a "war crime." It's not as if the soldiers took blindfolded, handcuffed prisoners, lined them up against a wall and said "let's execute them."
As evidenced by the fact that the other wounded guy who showed his hands was not shot, the soldiers did not go in there with the intent to "execute" people.
This was just a typical "fog of war" situation in which a soldier, erring on the side of caution, may have made a mistake.
Something like this probably happened thousands of times in WWII.
The only reason to publicize a situation like this would be if the reporter had seen many such situations and felt there was a pattern of wrongdoing that was not being addressed by the military. That was clearly not the case, judging by the comments of Kevin Sites and every other embedded reporter. Otherwise, there was no reason to release this particular video to the world. I'm sure the cameraman took many hours of footage. Why was this one snippet deemed important enough to highlight?
The damage done (in that this now will be misinterpreted and exaggerated all over the Arab world) was not worth whatever the reporters hoped to achieve (which was what?)
I hate journalists.
I wonder if this guy's ever been shot at.
I only worry that the DOD will be swayed by the leftist political orthodoxy (Not PC, that phrase has no meaning), and will punish this marine unfairly to try to buy good press.
Where in the HELL is the justice for all who have died in the pursuit of Goodness and Decency for God's Sake?
You betcha, Hodgett - the Marine was much more incensed at Rummy's comments than he was at being shot in the face the day before.
And BTW, I thought HRW was against the death penalty?
NO PRISONERS
Rightee-o! And exactly which country's military have we broken GenevCon with??? These are neither citizens nor soldiers, just costumed impersonators from terrorist-sponsored countries like Syria, Iran and who knows where else.
I absolutely agree with you.
Oh, by the way I bought all of my appliances from Sears.
They know exactly what they do.
I anticipate this will not go to trial you ass Fidell.
As an automation engineering professional and a business owner, I will push Rockwell Automation, even Siemens (yes, I know, German), Group Schneider (Modicon, yes, I know, French), but will only specify GE's industrial products ONLY IF THE CLIENT ABSOLUTELY INSISTS ON IT!
Goebbels would have loved to have been able to place Mildred Gillars and William Joyce in the Allied press. Instead Germany had to broadcast their BS where they became known to the Allies as "Lord Haw Haw" and "Axis Sally".
I'm pretty sure all Kenmore appliances are still manufactured by Whirlpool Corp.
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