Global Policy Forum

By Raymond Whitaker

Conflicting accounts of the deaths of at least seven Iraqi women and children at a checkpoint were still circulating yesterday when American troops shot dead another civilian at a roadblock. He was unarmed.

American commanders admitted US soldiers killed seven women and children at a checkpoint near Najaf on Monday, but their first reaction was to defend their troops, saying they opened fire after warning shots were ignored. The men involved did "absolutely the right thing", said General Peter Pace. "Our soldiers on the ground have an absolute right to defend themselves."

But William Branigin, a journalist for The Washington Post who witnessed the incident, said 10 people were killed, including five small children, and that the first shots fired included 25mm high-explosive cannon shells from one or more Bradley fighting vehicles, which tore into the four-wheel-drive Toyota. He said the troops' commander, Capt Ronny Johnson, shouted to his platoon leader: "You just [expletive] killed a family because you didn't fire a warning shot soon enough!" As the vehicle raced towards an intersection held by troops of the US 3rd Infantry Division, Mr Branigin reported, Capt Johnson grew increasingly alarmed. "From his position at the intersection, he was heard radioing to one of his forward platoons to alert it to what he described as a potential threat. "'Fire a warning shot,' he ordered as the vehicle kept coming. Then, with increasing urgency, he told the platoon to shoot a 7.62mm machine-gun round into its radiator. 'Stop [messing] around!' Capt Johnson yelled into the radio when he still saw no action being taken. Finally, he shouted at the top of his voice, 'Stop him, Red 1, stop him!' That order was immediately followed by the loud reports of 25mm cannon fire from one or more of the platoon's Bradleys. About half a dozen shots were heard in all."

Afterwards, reported Mr Branigin, the soldiers gave the survivors 10 body bags for their loved ones, and offered them money in compensation. US Central Command said Monday's killings and yesterday's shooting, which happened when a white pick-up truck failed to stop at a checkpoint 20 miles from Nasiriyah, were being investigated. But it was maintaining its unapologetic stance. "There will be occasions where civilians will be put in harm's way," said Brigadier-General Vincent Brooks. Another spokesman blamed the Najaf deaths on Saddam Hussein. "This is yet another incident in a trend of this regime using civilians, in this case innocent women and children, in order to cause harm to coalition forces," said Capt Frank Thorp. "The blood of this incident is on the hands of this regime."

To others, however, the deaths indicate how jittery and trigger-happy US troops have become since an Iraqi soldier blew himself up at a roadblock last Saturday, killing four Americans. "I thought it was a suicide bomb," said one of the soldiers who opened fire. These are the first civilian deaths for which the Anglo-American forces have admitted responsibility, but "embedded" journalists have seen evidence of several more, usually when Iraqis have approached troop positions at night.

Predictions that the Iraqi population would welcome British and American troops have proved wide of the mark. A Pentagon spokesman's comment that "everyone is now seen as a combatant until proven otherwise" means gaining civilian support will be harder than ever. Asked if the checkpoint killings undermined attempts to win over locals, a British Army spokesman said: "It does indeed." Commanders say the rules of engagement have not changed, but new procedures have been ordered in the wake of the suicide bombing. Drivers and passengers at checkpoints will be ordered out of vehicles with their hands raised, and will be searched. Cars and trucks will no longer be permitted to cross through American and British convoys; any vehicle blocking traffic will be pushed aside. And if civilians approach troops with their hands in their pockets and fail to respond, first to a shouted command and then to a warning shot, they will be killed, US officials say.

American forces have traditionally taken a more aggressive approach towards civilian populations than other Western armies. This conflicts with their desire to appear as "liberators" in Iraq. On peacekeeping duties in Kosovo, for example, US troops were ordered to wear full battle gear at all times, unlike every other national contingent. James Dingley, a lecturer on terrorism at the University of Ulster, contrasted the US approach with that of the British, whose Northern Ireland experience means they are accustomed to closer contact with civilians. "Americans never mixed with anybody [in the Balkans]," he said. "They had virtually no comprehension of the locals ... and developing empathy with them". Although British troops did not face suicide bombers in Northern Ireland, General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said American forces would draw on their experience. Paul Beaver, a defence analyst, emphasised the need for a new approach. "The Americans have to look again at the rules of engagement and just see what they're doing at these checkpoints," he said. "They are shooting first and asking questions later."

FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.