New Reports say US Troops Killed More Unarmed Iraqi Civilians
02 June 2006
There are new reports accusing U.S. troops of killing unarmed civilians in Iraq.
British television has aired a video of several dead adults and children that Iraqi police say were among 11 civilians killed by US troops in Ishaqi north of Baghdad in March.
The BBC reported that U.S. officials initially said four people died during a military operation there.
The new video comes as the U.S. military investigates whether U.S. Marines intentionally killed as many as 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians last year in Haditha.
The U.S. also is investigating the shooting death of an unarmed man in Hamandiya, west of Baghdad, in April.
A defense lawyer says the military will file criminal charges against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman currently jailed at Camp Pendleton in California in connection with the incident.
One of the reported accusations is that the Marines placed an AK-47 rifle near the dead man to make him look like an insurgent.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday President Bush "cares" that U.S. troops respect the rules of engagement.
Senior officials in Iraq's new government say they want the U.S. to turn over its files on the Haditha incident so that Iraq can conduct a separate inquiry.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has expressed anger at the killing of Iraqi civilians, calling it a crime. Media reports say Mr. Maliki has said a continued U.S. troop presence in Iraq will depend on the behavior of the troops.
Washington has ordered American commanders to conduct core values training on legal, moral and ethical standards on the battlefield.
A U.S. commander in Iraq, Brigadier General Donald Campbell, told reporters by teleconference from Baghdad that the training will take between two and four hours. He said soldiers in combat, fighting insurgents, can become stressed and snap. He said soldiers have to understand what is right and what is wrong.
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