Military

SITUATION:

You are the platoon leader of the search team within a company cordon and search mission.

EVENT(S):

1. You enter the house and find a dead body.

2. You enter the house and find six females hiding in a closet with a gun.

3. You enter the house and find three large dogs. The dogs are barking and moving towards you.

4. You enter the house and someone runs out the back door.

5. You detain the homeowner and he hands you an American passport with his picture on it.

6. The MP dogs you have with you alert on a possible explosive and you hear a young girl crying in a bedroom.

7. People in the house will not open the door or come out.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

EVENT(S):

NOTE: MNF forces have the authority to conduct cordon-and-search operations in Haiti to establish a secure and safe environment. Targets are defined as: An area which contains items or persons that pose a threat to MNF forces or Haitian Nationals. Threat is defined as: Anything that can or would cause a breakdown of a secure and safe environment. Weapons caches, communications equipment, explosives, counterfeiting and contraband are some examples of targets to date. The use of deadly force is limited to the "persons observed committing serious criminal acts (i.e., homicide, aggravated assault, rape, arson and robbery)." Robbery is different from larceny and burglary. A robbery is committed by gun point (or any other weapon) and has the potential for homicide. The looting of or stealing of relief supplies, foods and nonsensitive equipment or personal property can only be stopped by nonlethal force, unless the perpetrator has a weapon and displays a hostile intent. Hostile intent is defined as pointing a weapon at an individual(s); holding hostages; discharging a weapon; striking an individual(s) with a weapon and threatening to use the weapon or evidence of recent use of a weapon. Examples seen to date include: Direct fire from within or around the cordon site, hostage situations, crowd beatings of suspects within or around the cordon, and security guards raising their weapons to protect the target from your cordon and search. In most all of these examples, the U. S. forces errored on the side of restraint and were successful. The show-of- force "professional presence" and innovative "graduated response" techniques defused the potential use of deadly force 99 percent of the time.

1. Announce to the team "body": leave a two-man buddy team to secure the body, and continue the mission. Bring the medic forward, assess the body, record the scene (with record team) and cover the body. Secure the body on site, but do not extract until the CI team questions family and neighbors about the body. If no cache is found, turn the body over to the family or civilian medical facilities. Contact local police or IPMs; continue cordon until site transfer is complete. If a cache is found, detain the body and family for further interrogation and investigation. Notify graves registration. Eventually, turn body over to local authorities.

2. Seek cover, seal off the room, bring the linguist into the room and ensure the women that they will not be harmed and talk them out of the closet. Remember that women in many parts of the world are normally very oppressed and uninformed. Treat them with dignity and secure them while continuing to search the target.

3. Large dogs are rare in Haiti. However, many well- to-do Haitians have bull dogs and Doberman Pinchers for security. Try to isolate these animals in a room or a court yard; use MRE main meals or pepper spray when isolating them. Be prepared to strike the animals and/or shoot them. Be very careful to avoid human casualties.

4. Report to the company commander, try to provide a description of the individual. Do not pursue the individual; that's the security teams job. An individual leaving the scene of the cordon is not considered a threat, only a suspect. Use of Deadly Force is NOT authorized.

5. You still can question the individual. However, you cannot search the target without gaining permission from the MNF commander. Inform the citizen of the allegations and request their permission to search to confirm their innocence. If denied, report to higher, and leave the site. Before leaving, use the linguist to inform the public that the individual is an American citizen, and we will not tolerate any retribution against the this person.

6. Back out of the home, contact EOD and try to calm the girl with the linguist and speaker team.

7. Use graduated response for cordon and search.

ROE Limitations and Restrictions:

ROE 2: Treat all persons with dignity and respect.

ROE 10: Possession of a weapon in public by any individuals does not, by itself, constitue a hostile intent.