The Other Casualties - Iraq - Newsweek

American casualties are the ugly benchmark of the occupation of Iraq. Military or political authorities who claim progress in the reconstruction risk grisly contradiction when another soldier’s death is announced. Yet while many Americans think any U.S. blood is too precious to spill, Iraqi blood is a murkier topic.

AT THE HEIGHT of the war, there was little discussion of Iraqi civilian deaths—military leaders didn’t always talk about them, journalists didn’t always ask. But almost six months after George W. Bush declared major combat operations over, Iraqi civilians are still being killed.
History tells us that the death of a few innocents is the inevitable price of peace. But in a discomforting new report, the humanitarian group Human Rights Watch claims that American troops often use excessive or indiscriminate force against Iraqi civilians. The group claims that Coalition forces have killed 94 Iraqis in potentially unlawful circumstances since the Bush announcement in May. While these deaths may not dominate American headlines, the report’s author, Fred Abrahams, says their significance should not be overlooked. Abrahams told NEWSWEEK’s Jonathan Darman that to promote security in Iraq, Americans must win the hearts and minds of Iraqis. Before they can do that, Abrahams says, they must prove that Iraqis don’t have to be afraid.

http://msnbc.com/news/983823.asp

as long as the US is perceived as an arrogant bully on a crusade (and, unlike Bush, I know how the Muslims perceive the meaning of that word). Our ignorance in dealing with Muslims has caused many to conclude we have no respect for them at best and want to destroy them at worst. That general who called Allah (which is merely Arabic for God) an idol did more to boost terrorism than bin Laden has done in months. When GIs search Iraqi women with dogs, which are considered unclean to many Muslims, Arabs interpret that as a grave insult. If Iraqi civilians are being roughed up and killed for no reason, we're simply creating more recruits for al Qaeda.

they also don't investigate them. US forces are getting away with murder, assault, and other crimes as they try to police a people that they have no respect for, thanks to their "education." These are serious war crimes. It is remarkable how US citizens can ignore these atrocities, and even pour more money into the Pentagon for more weapons and soldiers. America-haters are being created around the world (and here in the US). US should get out of Iraq and turn policing over to an international coalition that includes Arab countries.

...and are unleashed on our civilian population. They've picked up some very bad habits and attitudes in the absence of accountability for their actions.

Occupation functions and urban warfare are not the same. One is a governing function, the other is an assault function. Using assault troops for police duties is asking for trouble. The number of unnecessary civilian deaths will never be known.

This question is absurd:

< One of the questionable practices you highlight in the report involves U.S. troops putting their feet on the heads of detained Iraqis to keep them down. Why is that such a hot-button issue?>

No civilian would tolerate that treatment in any culture.

....and 'tis just a matter time now.

We're so screwed!

I hope that when the troops get home they begin to talk about what is going on.

It is hard to live with the fact that you murdered someone even in a war situation. Personally you know the difference between self defence and murder even though a war situation helps to blur the difference to those on the homefront.