Iraqis run a gauntlet of gunfire from a jittery US Army

[ConcernedCanuk]

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Iraqis run a gauntlet of gunfire from a jittery US Army

From Catherine Philp in Baghdad

/snip/

All too often Iraqis who find themselves in the line of fire say that they were given no warning. Saad al-Mashhadani, an economics professor, did not even see the impromptu checkpoint on the road leading to his home as he drove from work one day last month. “There were no signs to tell you to stop, so I thought they were just there to search a house or a car,” he said. As he drove forward the Americans opened fire on his car, wounding him in the leg. “No warning shot, no nothing.”

Reports issued daily by Western security advisers detail incidents in which Iraqis with no insurgency links are killed or injured by soldiers in the mistaken belief that they are trying to attack US forces. Iraqis who have survived or seen such incidents complain that they were given confusing instructions by soldiers.

Because such killings are classed as deaths in combat, victims have no recourse to justice. Compensation is at the discretion of commanders, who can choose to award a family up to $2,500 (£1,300).



Because such killings are classed as deaths in combat, victims have no recourse to justice. (maybe they WERE better off with Saddam?)

45 days and 12 grand for drowning Iraqis

$2500 to shoot Iraqis (and that's not out of the soldier's pocket)

not much deterrent to just shoot anything that moves now is there?

Murikkka the liberator, spreader of democracy, winner of hearts and minds . .

right . . .

I'm beginning to understand why the WH doesn't keep track of Iraqi civilian deaths . . er, murders I should say?

(sigh)

[Frederik]

1. classified as "death in combat" ??

...so they have no recourse to justice. Yes, they probably were better off with Saddam than they are now, the Kurds being the exception.