The U.S. military ordered coalition troops in Iraq to undergo special
training in ethics and "the values that separate us from our enemies" in the
wake of allegations that Marines killed two dozen unarmed civilians in Haditha.
A U.S. Marine stands
guard outside a house while the rest of his squad searches for weapons
during an operation in the town of Ramadi, in this military handout photo
released on September 28, 2005. Al Qaeda militants have gained ground in
Ramadi and the 1,500 extra U.S. troops brought to Iraq to help fight them
will be used to try to break their grip on the town, the military said on
Thursday. [Reuters] |
The order came Thursday as Iraq's government launched its own investigation
of the deaths last November in the western town as well as other incidents
involving U.S. troops. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called the killings "a
horrible crime," his strongest public comments on the incident since his
government was sworn in May 20.
"This is a phenomenon that has become common among many of the multinational
forces," al-Maliki said. "No respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and
killing on a suspicion or a hunch. It's unacceptable."
Al-Maliki's remarks appeared to lend credibility to complaints by Iraqis of
what they see as U.S. troops' cultural insensitivity and disregard for Iraqi
lives. To many Iraqis, the soldiers are occupiers seeking to control the
country's oil wealth.
The Americans, on the other hand, are under intense pressure, isolated from
Iraqis by cultural and language barriers and battling insurgents who easily
blend into the civilian population. Some of the troops are in Iraq on their
third combat tour since the U.S. invasion three years ago.
The training, which will include slideshows, will cover all coalition
soldiers in Iraq and last 30 days. Of the 150,000-strong multinational
contingent in Iraq, 130,000 are Americans.
"As military professionals, it is important that we take time to reflect on
the values that separate us from our enemies," Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the No.
2 U.S. general in Iraq, said in a statement. "The challenge for us is to make
sure the actions of a few do not tarnish the good work of the many."
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, spokesman for the Multinational Force-Iraq, told
a Baghdad news briefing that the training was designed to reinforce what troops
learned before coming to Iraq. It will focus on "values and looking at the
legal, moral and ethical standards that every one of us in uniform here, as
guests of the Iraqi government, need to adhere to," he said.
"The coalition does not and will not tolerate any unethical or criminal
behavior. All allegations of such activity will be fully investigated," he said.
Chiarelli's announcement followed last week's visit to Iraq by U.S. Marine
Commandant, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, who cautioned troops on the danger of
becoming "indifferent to the loss of a human life."
The U.S. military is conducting at least two investigations into the killings
of civilians, including women and children, in Haditha on November 19.
The killings followed the death that day of a Marine in a bomb explosion that
targeted a military convoy. U.S. Congressman John Murtha, a decorated war
veteran who has been briefed by military officials, has said the Marines,
angered by the loss of a comrade, shot and killed civilians in a taxi near the
scene and went into nearby homes and shot others.
U.S. military investigators have evidence that points toward unprovoked
murders by the Marines, a senior defense official said last week. The Washington
Post reported Thursday that the investigators will conclude some officers gave
false testimony to their superiors, who then failed to scrutinize the reports
adequately.
It took nearly a month for U.S. President George W. Bush to be told of the
Haditha investigation, the White House said Thursday. Earlier this week, Bush
aides had said the president was briefed "soon after" the probe began.
The decision to launch an Iraqi inquiry was made at a Cabinet meeting
Thursday, according to Adnan al-Kazimi, an adviser to the prime minister.
A committee of security experts as well as officials from the Justice and
Human Rights ministries will look into the Haditha incident as well as other
cases where misconduct by U.S. troops is suspected, al-Kazimi told The
Associated Press.
An Iraqi government statement said the Haditha "tragedy" violated the
guidelines of justice and human rights" and demanded no leniency be shown to its
perpetrators.
"The Council of Ministers demands that generous financial compensations be
paid to the victims' families and an official apology be presented to the Iraqi
government after the results of the investigation are announced," the statement
said. It emphasized, however, the need for coordination between the Iraqi side
and the U.S.-led coalition forces.
Prime Minister al-Maliki's tone was even tougher.
"It appears to be a horrible crime," he told reporters. "A large number of
women, men and children have been killed because of an explosion that targeted a
vehicle of the multinational forces."
He said the list of human rights breaches by coalition forces in Iraq was
long.
Reinforcing "core values" training could help prevent such alleged incidents,
experts said.
"I think it's a healthy thing," said Howard Prince, director of the Center
for Ethical Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. "It's time to step
back and do refresher training to remind those how the United States wages war."
However, Prince, a retired Army general, cautioned that training needs to be
constantly reinforced. "I think it'll have an effect, but the effect won't be as
powerful if it's not sustained by continuous efforts on part of leadership at
every level," he said.
Associated Press Writers Antonio Castaneda, Kim Gamel and Patrick Quinn
contributed to this report.
