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Iraqi Civilians Bear the Brunt of the Battle Between Insurgents, U.S. Troops

More than anyone else, it is Iraqi civilians who are dying in the battle between the insurgents and U.S. forces. And they are being killed by both sides.

Every day — and every night — U.S. forces raid suspected insurgent strongholds. It happens on average two dozen times a day.

A British soldier hands a leaflet written in Arabic to a motorist on the main road into Basra, Iraq. Human Rights Watch says better communication could prevent more civilian deaths. [Reuters]

Sometimes, it's violent. For civilians, sometimes it's deadly. But civilian casualties are not limited to raids. Iraqi civilians have been killed by soldiers on the streets of downtown Baghdad. They have also been killed at checkpoints and at demonstrations.

Human Rights Watch says at least 94 civilians have been killed in Baghdad by U.S. soldiers since the end of the war. At least 20 of the deaths, it says, were unlawful.

"An unlawful death is essentially when it was not necessary for a soldier to resort to lethal force or when the force was excessive or indiscriminate," says Fred Abrahams of Human Rights Watch. "So by unlawful we are suggesting that it was not necessary for a soldier to use weapons or they did so in a way that exceeded the threat."

No Apologies, No Investigations

Anwar Kazen Jawad knows what that's like.

She lost her husband, son and two daughters last summer when their car was fired on by U.S. soldiers at a checkpoint on a darkened Baghdad street.

"They did not stop us, they did not warn us," she says. "They shot at us immediately. My husband shouted, 'Family! family!' but they shot him. He bled to death."

Jawad says no one apologized; no one investigated. But U.S. military officials — who do not keep track of civilian casualties because they say it's impossible to keep an accurate count — have indicated they will look into this incident.

"Whenever an incident of that nature is identified then we aggressively pursue it," Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, recently told ABCNEWS. "All of those that are coming to light, we are taking very aggressive action against them."

With about 30 attacks on U.S. troops every day and more than 170 deaths from hostile fire since May 1, when President Bush declared major conflict over, what may seem like a reasonable reaction to a U.S. soldier can seem like a deadly overreaction when victims turn out to be civilians.

From Fighting War to Policing Peace

Part of the problem is that combat troops are being used in an urban environment. In many cases, the soldiers have not been trained, equipped, or psychologically prepared to handle civilian policing.

The Army's 82nd Airborne Division is trying to adapt. Trained to fight behind enemy lines, they are now tasked with keeping the peace.

"It is not the intention of anyone here to injure or even kill certainly an Iraqi citizen," says Col. Eric Nantz at his base in northeast Baghdad. "That runs counter to what we're trying to accomplish here."

The 82nd has won some "hearts and minds" in Al Shula, one Baghdad's poorest neighborhoods. They have brought order to the streets, cleaned up sewage, and perhaps most importantly, listened to local complaints.

They have also gone out of their way to learn about Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. Each soldier carries a pamphlet of do's and don'ts to be maintained during the lunar month of fasting.

Split-Second Decisions

But wartime rules of engagement are still in force. Soldiers are allowed to "shoot to kill" if they believe they are at risk.

"We don't fire our weapons inadvertently," says Capt. John Gibson. "We don't fire wildly, and that's a last resort, to shoot."

"If something happens, you've got to make a decision within like a split-second and you just try to make sure no innocent bystanders are in the way," says Sgt. Chad Paul.

Nantz says the Army's new assault rifle, the M-4, is designed to limit what he calls "collateral damage" by accurately firing only two shots at a time. "We have stressed the use of the M-4 because of its accuracy — instead of an automatic weapons system — and its ability to engage the individual that is engaging us," he explains.

The Importance of Interpreters

Human Rights Watch has proposed other ways to reduce civilian deaths, including having well-lighted checkpoints marked with signs in Arabic, and more interpreters. Most U.S. soldiers agree with the proposals.

"There can be no price placed on the role of the interpreter in this operation," says Capt. Damon Harris. "The more the better."

Many Iraqis say they want to believe American soldiers came to liberate them, but when they're on the receiving end of aggressive military behavior that notion can be easily tested.

"They are trained only in warfare," says Jawad. "Now they are waging a war against us, the people who (are) not armed."

Human Rights Watch believes that sort of antagonism is leading to increased attacks against U.S. soldiers. "I believe that the over-aggression and the killings of civilians are making Baghdad a more dangerous place for U.S. troops because it breeds such resentment, such frustration, and hatred," says Abrahams.

And that hatred can fuel revenge and feed an increasingly dangerous insurgency.

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