| Troops cleared in Iraqi deaths in Ishaqi |
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Troops cleared in Iraqi deaths in Ishaqi
by Will Dunham
June 2, 2006
A U.S. military probe has found U.S. forces did nothing wrong in a March raid in the town of Ishaqi in which civilians were killed, saying they "properly followed the rules of engagement," the military said on Friday.
"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," Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a senior U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, said in a statement released in Baghdad.
The military until now had said one guerrilla, two women and a child were killed in the March 15 raid in the town 60 miles north of Baghdad.
But Caldwell's statement said the investigation "concluded that possibly up to nine collateral deaths resulted from this engagement but could not determine the precise number due to collapsed walls and heavy debris."
The incident was one of a handful involving civilian deaths being investigated by the U.S. military, including the deaths of two dozen civilians in the town of Haditha on November 19.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has said he is losing patience with reports of U.S. troops killing civilians. Many Iraqis believe unjustified killings by U.S. troops are common, but few have been confirmed by official investigations.
"The investigating officer ascertained that the ground force commander properly followed the rules of engagement as he necessarily escalated the use of force until the threat was eliminated. All loss of innocent life is tragic and unfortunate, and we regret such occurrences," Caldwell said.
Police in Ishaqi, 60 miles north of Baghdad, have said six adults and five children were shot dead in a U.S. military raid on a home. The U.S. military has maintained the deaths came after troops were fired upon from the house as they arrived to arrest an al Qaeda suspect.
USE OF FORCE ESCALATED 'INCREMENTALLY'
Caldwell's statement said U.S. forces conducted a raid in the vicinity of Ishaqi on March 15, capturing Ahmad Abdallah Muhammad Na'is al-Utaybi, a Kuwaiti-born, al-Qaeda cell leader, and killing Uday Faris al-Tawafi, an Iraqi involved in making roadside bombs and recruiting insurgents.
U.S. officials described a nighttime raid aimed at finding a specific guerrilla, who then fled the building but was later caught.
U.S. forces at the site began taking direct fire from the building, and the commander at the scene "appropriately reacted by incrementally escalating the use of force from small arms fire to rotary wing aviation, and then to close air support, ultimately eliminating the threat."
A defense official said an AC-130 gunship was called in to help.
"We take all reports of improper conduct seriously; we investigate them thoroughly, and hold our troops accountable for their actions," Caldwell said.
Police in Ishaqi have five children, four women and two men were shot dead by troops in a house that was then blown up.
They said all the victims were shot in the head, and that the bodies, with hands bound, were dumped in one room before the house was destroyed. Television footage showed the bodies in a morgue. Their wounds were not clear, although one infant had a gaping head wound.
In the Haditha case, the military is investigating whether U.S. Marines went on a rampage after a comrade was killed by an insurgent roadside bomb and shot dead two dozen civilians, including women and children. U.S. defense officials have said Marines could face charges including murder.
The U.S. military on Thursday directed troops in Iraq to undergo new training on the need to follow legal, moral and ethical standards on the battlefield.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060602/ts_nm/iraq_usa_ishaqi_dc_5;_ylt=Amnt4_fyPdaWgntZx7CzFaBX6GMA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
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Posted on Friday, June 02 @ 18:50:45 MST by woodb01 |
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