Iraqi Vice-President calls for US, UN investigations in Ishaqi killings

[leftchick]

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=873139



BAGHDAD, June 4 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Vice-President Tareq Hashimi called on Sunday for the formation of a joint US-Iraqi or a neutral United Nations committee to probe US troops' violations in Iraq.

In a press release, Hashimi said a joint committee of Americans and Iraqis or a neutral UN probe should be conducted in the killing of civilians in the town of Ishaqi, 90 kms (60 miles) north of Baghdad last March.

A US military investigation cleared soldiers of any misconduct in Ishaqi on Friday. It said that soldiers chasing insurgents took direct fire in Ishaqi and up to nine collateral deaths, a military term for civilian casualties, resulted from an engagement. It denied as "absolutely false" allegations that troops executed a family living in a safe house for "terrorists".

The Prime Minister said American violations in Samara and Haditha was also necessary.

The Ishaqi findings come amid an investigation into allegations U.S. Marines massacred up to two dozen unarmed civilians in the town of Haditha in November. Several other killings are also under investigation in Samara. (end) aah.

[IndianaGreen]

1. This Iraqi government ain't buying the US whitewash of Ishaqi massacre

and Vice-President Hashimi's comments in the OP are right in line with similar comments from the Prime Minister's Office (read story below).

The question is why is the US trying so hard to deny that civilians were massacred in Ishaqi. One possible answer could lie in the Haditha massacre by Marines. The Bush regime has already portrayed what happened in Haditha as an aberration by over-stressed troops. Any admission that Haditha is but the tip of the war crimes iceberg, would undercut Bush's Long War and increase demands for a total troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Iraqi PM: U.S. rushed Ishaqi probe

Said 'questions and doubts' still hover over civilian killings

Saturday, June 3, 2006 Posted: 1914 GMT (0314 HKT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military rushed to judgment in its exoneration of U.S. troops involved in the March 15 raid that killed civilians in Ishaqi, said an aide to Iraq's prime minister on Saturday.

There are too many "questions and doubts" surrounding the raid 60 miles north of Baghdad, said Adnan al-Kadhimi.

"The Iraqi government should continue its own investigation until the truth can be found," he said.

<snip>

Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, the Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, conceded that as many as "nine collateral deaths" may have occurred in Ishaqi, but that investigators could not determine the exact number "due to the collapsed walls and heavy debris."

Nonetheless, a government committee made up of several Iraqi ministries is investigating, and if it finds wrongdoing, it wants an apology, as well as compensation, al-Kadhimi said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/03/iraq.inquiries/index.html

[bushmeister0]

2. Case closed? Not quite.

When I first heard about the military rushing out to clear themselves of any wrong-doing on Friday I was a little skeptical. I'm not buying it. It's taken them 6 months to even get around to figuring out what happened in Haditha and --- boom --- just like that, they've got Ishaqi all wrapped up. There's something definatly fishy going on here, but even if there's not, calling in air strikes and an AC-130 gunship seemsto be a whole lot of overkill to capture just one al-Qaeda suspect (and, of course, it turns out he's yet another senior member of a-Qaeda).

I really question the judgment that was used in this case, I wouldn't start breaking out the Champaigne bottles quite yet. If you're going to go in with that kind of fire-power you'd better make sure there aren't noncombatants anywhere near where you're shooting, right? Especially, if you're attempting to win hearts and minds, like we keep being told we're trying to do over there all the time.

This isn't the end of the Ishaqi story, I'm much worse news is coming.

[chat_noir]

3. Reuters: Iraq rejects US probe clearing troops of killings

BAGHDAD, June 3 (Reuters) - Iraq vowed on Saturday to press on with its own probe into the deaths of civilians in a U.S. raid on the town of Ishaqi, rejecting the U.S. military's exoneration of its forces.

Adnan al-Kazimi, an aide to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, said the government would also demand an apology from the United States and compensation for the victims in several cases, including the alleged massacre in the town of Haditha last year.

"We have from more than one source that the Ishaqi killings were carried out under questionable circumstances. More than one child was killed. This report was not fair for the Iraqi people and the children who were killed," he told Reuters.

The U.S. military had issued a statement about Ishaqi saying allegations that U.S. troops "executed a family ... and then hid the alleged crimes by directing an air strike, are absolutely false".

http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L03694020

[MADem]

4. I'd be interested in hearing what Jack Murtha has to say about this

That Haditha commentary he made wasn't speculation, I think. I believe he's spoken to, and seen reports provided to, senior military leadership on that matter.

If he discusses this issue as well, we can assume something went horrifically wrong up that way.

[IndianaGreen]

5. I think many people in Congress know that Iraq is a free fire zone

and that the US has slaughtered civilians by the tens of thousands. What's the difference between a squad of Marines shooting at unarmed civilians, or a bomber flattening an entire village with bombs or incinerating a city with phosphorous?

[MADem]

6. Maybe, the ones on SASC/HASC and related subcommittees

But there are way too many who just don't want to touch the issues at all, and don't want to know, or admit they know, anything.

That's why I hope to hear from Murtha. If anyone was in a position to actually hold the PIO reports in his hand, and discuss them with senior uniformed leadership, it's him. He's not an uncommon sight in the vicinity of the E-Ring, or as a dinner guest at the Flag/General quarters scattered around DC.

[Supersedeas]

7. Wow, the U.S. Media is all over this story too huh? More Hillary anyone?