Ishaqi

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June 03, 2006

Ishaqi

Greyhawk

From CENTCOM

MNF-I SPOKESMAN MAKES STATEMENT ON ISHAQI RAID

Release Date: 6/2/2006

Release Number: 06-06-02P

Description: MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
BAGHDAD, Iraq
http://www.mnf-iraq.com
703.270.0320 / 0299

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV the Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, delivered the following statement June 3 on the Coalition raid that took place near Ishaqi on March 15:

“Recently there has been much attention in both the Western and Arabic media concerning reports of Coalition Soldiers killing innocent Iraqi civilians. Temptation exists to lump all these incidents together. However, each case needs to be examined individually. Let me be clear. Multi-National Force-Iraq does not and will not tolerate unethical or criminal behavior. All allegations of the loss of civilian life are thoroughly investigated.

In response to claims as many as thirteen civilians were killed in a March 15th air strike in the vicinity of Ishaqi, south of Samarra, an investigation was launched into the incident the very next day. The investigation revealed the ground force commander, while capturing and killing terrorists, operated in accordance with the rules of engagement governing our combat forces in Iraq.

Based on credible intelligence, Coalition Forces conducted a raid in the vicinity of Ishaqi on March 15th capturing Ahmad Abdallah Muhammad Na’is al-Utaybi, aka Hamza, a Kuwaiti-born, al-Qaeda cell leader, and killing Uday Faris al-Tawafi, aka Abu Ahmed, an Iraqi involved in making improvised explosive devices as well as recruiting locals to join the insurgency.

The forces, upon arrival, began taking direct fire from the building. As the enemy fire persisted, the ground force commander appropriately reacted by incrementally escalating the use of force from small arms fire to rotary wing aviation, and then to close air support, ultimately eliminating the threat.

The troops then conducted a thorough tactical search, and documented the discovery of the body of Abu Ahmed plus three noncombatants. The investigating officer concluded that possibly up to nine collateral deaths resulted from this engagement but could not determine the precise number due to collapsed walls and heavy debris. Allegations that the troops executed a family living in this safe house, and then hid the alleged crimes by directing an air strike, are absolutely false.

The investigating officer ascertained that the ground force commander properly followed the rules of engagement as he necessarily escalated the use of force until the threat was eliminated.

All loss of innocent life is tragic and unfortunate, and we regret such occurrences. We take all reports of improper conduct seriously; we investigate them thoroughly, and hold our troops accountable for their actions. ”

Don't confuse this episode with the Haditha incident - although the Haditha allegations may have inspired the claims in this event.

We noted that story when it occurred. US troops were accused of executing 11 people, ranging from a 75-year old woman to a 6-month old baby.

The US account:

According to the U.S. account, the house collapsed because of the heavy fire. When U.S. forces searched the rubble they found one man, the al-Qaeda suspect, alive. He was arrested. They also found a dead man they believed to be connected to al-Qaeda, two dead women and a dead child.

And a "local" version of events:

The villagers were killed after U.S. troops herded them into a single room of the house, according to a police document obtained by Knight Ridder Newspapers, the parent company of The Inquirer. The soldiers also burned three vehicles, killed the villagers' animals, and blew up the house, the document said.

A local police commander, Lt. Col. Farooq Hussain, who was interviewed in Ishaqi, said autopsies at the hospital in Tikrit "revealed that all the victims had bullet shots in the head and all bodies were handcuffed."

The document was described as a report based on a report filed by local police. Note that current news stories on this event ignore the more unlikely allegations made at the time - handcuffed babies and slaughtered animals.

But two days later:

BAGHDAD - Iraqi police investigating the deaths of 11 people in the town of Ishaqi after a U.S. military raid last week reported that each of the bodies bore multiple wounds, according to a preliminary report reviewed by Knight Ridder News Service.
<...>
According to the preliminary report, none of the bodies bore only a single gunshot wound, contradicting one Iraqi police officer's account that each had been shot once in the head.

One body had two gunshot wounds to the head. Five others showed signs of entrance and exit wounds to the head caused by "flying projectiles," which the report noted could be "consistent with either bullets or shrapnel." Four others showed signs of entrance and exit wounds to the chest or abdomen, also attributed to flying projectiles.

The 11th person had "crushing of the head and neck," the cause of which was undetermined.

The portion of the report that Knight Ridder reviewed made no mention of whether the bodies had been handcuffed, as an Iraqi police officer had alleged.

Current news coverage doesn't mention much of that Iraqi police report either, though the original "document based on a report" is oft-quoted.

It's possible the media assumes everyone is already deeply familiar with the particulars in this story. Maybe they feel brevity is important, and that readers don't want to be burdened with too much information. So perhaps it's pure coincidence that all the facts that are omitted in the recent coverage are the ones that demonstrate the difference between this story and Haditha.

By the way, even back in that first report:

Neighbors who were interviewed agreed that the al-Qaeda in Iraq member was at the house.

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June 03, 2006

Ishaqi