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View Full Version : Watchdog: Probe Needed Into U.S. Action in Falluja



yellowwing
04-13-04, 04:25 PM
Tue Apr 13,11:12 AM ET
By Luke Baker Rueters (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&e=6&u=/nm/20040413/ts_nm/iraq_falluja_rights_dc)

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. military offensive in Falluja last week in which 600 Iraqis may have died has raised concerns about excessive use of force and needs immediate investigation, a leading human rights group said Tuesday.

Civilians who fled the fighting described the streets of Falluja as being littered with bodies, including women and children, and Iraqi politicians have accused U.S. forces of meting out collective punishment on the city's residents.

"The questions being asked are very legitimate. When you cordon off a town and hear many stories that are very worrisome about civilians being killed it needs to be examined," said Hania Mufti, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, a New York-based rights group.

"There is enough from the footage we've seen and from what has been said about what went on in Falluja to warrant a very serious investigation. We are deeply concerned about the consistent reports we are getting about women, children and unarmed civilians being killed," Mufti told Reuters.

She stressed that most of the information received so far was anecdotal and said no conclusions could be drawn until a full investigation could be conducted.

"I can't say whether any crimes have been committed ... but we'll certainly be looking into whether there was excessive use of force and whether the methods used by the military were acceptable," she said. "We would call on the U.S. military to be as cooperative as possible with our investigation."

U.S. Marines launched an offensive against Falluja, a city of about 300,000 people 30 miles west of Baghdad, eight days ago to crack down on guerrillas and find those responsible for killing and burning four U.S. security guards March 31.

The fighting was some of the fiercest Iraq has seen since U.S.-led forces launched the war that overthrew Saddam Hussein a year ago. For the past three days, Falluja has been under a tenuous truce.

The director of Falluja's general hospital has said more than 600 Iraqis were killed and some 1,200 were wounded in the battle. U.S. forces also suffered a heavy toll, with at least 70 soldiers killed in the past 12 days, many in Falluja.

The U.S. military has rejected allegations that its soldiers fired indiscriminately or used excessive force.

"I could see many bodies in the streets. Hundreds were lying in the street. Relatives were too scared to get them," said Samir Rabee, who escaped with relatives and eight other families in the back of a refrigeration truck.

Mufti said it would probably be another few days before investigators could travel to the city, and then only if the U.S. offensive had not resumed.

yellowwing
04-13-04, 04:26 PM
This Hania Mufti and Andy Rooney are smoking the same drugs!

MillRatUSMC
04-13-04, 04:49 PM
TOUGH XHIT...Where was this Watchdog, when those four American were killed and mulated.
I say, we're about even the score...

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

Tom Clear
04-13-04, 05:05 PM
Excessive force? H*ll I thought when you were in a combat situation you used whatever force nessasary to overcome. Time for those desk jockies to get with the program, contrary to popular belief this is a war not a police action. It just amazing what these people can dream up in there idle little minds.

God Bless out troops and all who serve, Semper Fi, Tom

thedrifter
04-13-04, 05:52 PM
So who is going to check into this......???????



Official: 4 Mutilated Bodies Found in Iraq
50 minutes ago

By GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Four mutilated bodies have been found in Iraq (news - web sites), a State Department official said Tuesday night.


The remains had not been identified, said the official, speaking only on condition of anonymity. He had no further information on the discovery.


A spokeswoman for Halliburton Co., the major U.S. contractor in Iraq., said the firm also was aware that remains had been recovered in the country but added that there had been no identifications.


U.S. officials reported Tuesday that seven Americans had been reported missing in Iraq.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=3&u=/ap/20040413/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq_bodies


Ellie

God Bless our Troops

Osotogary
04-13-04, 06:42 PM
When Americans die- no probe. When Iraqies die- probe. I don't even want to get into "rules of engagement".
How come everyone that is killed or wounded by American/Coalition Forces is called a citizen?
Iraq is a two- way street being observed by those who only believe in one-way streets....until the poop comes to their street.

namgrunt
04-13-04, 06:58 PM
We are at WAR. I don't care what any human rights oganization says. What would they do? Would they write new Rules of Engagement for us?

for example:
Rule #X :......The stronger American and Coalition forces can return fire only if fired upon TWICE, and on condition that no women or children are present at the time of armed response.

or,

Rule #X :......All religious sites are permanently off limits, and shall be considered sanctuaries, regardless of activity alleged to be occurring, which might be contrary to Coalition goals. The only exceptions to this rule must be cleared with the current ruling council and both Shia and Sunni faction elders.

This would be intolerable to our forces. It would be like asking them to fight with BOTH hands tied behind their backs, and blindfolds over their eyes. We are AT WAR!

Fight to Win! Flatten Fallujah!

Thats how I see it.

mrbsox
04-13-04, 07:15 PM
I haven't seen anybody remember the tactics used a year ago by these chickensh!t fighters;

Hide behind and amongst the civilian population
Shooting indescrimantly (sp?) into the direction of our troops

Even today I've seen reports that the Iraqi fighters are 'spraying' with the AKs', from the hip, not aiming. That in it's self puts a lot of 'death and destruction' into the air.

Besides, since we have allowed the general population to leave, shouldn't we be prudent to consider ANY remaining people are potentially dangerous ?

70 Amedricans to 700 Iraqi's... not too good of odds. I still say we need to LOOSEN the reigns, let the military do what the military does. Get the politics out of it.

Watch dog...... WATCH THIS :marine:

Terry