US Training of Death Squads in Iraq? - War Is A Crime .org

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2005/050110-iraqi-squads.htmU.S. denies creating Iraqi 'death squads'In-Depth CoverageBy Pamela HessUPIJanuary 10, 2005A Pentagon spokesman Monday denied reports the U.S. military is training "death squads" totarget insurgents in Iraq.Newsweek magazine reported Saturday on the effort in its latest issue."The U.S. military does not take part in or train other forces to undertake illegal actions,assassinations or torture. All training and advising our Special Operations forces conduct withIraqi security forces is done in full compliance with the laws of war," said a Pentagonspokesman."The leadership of the insurgency in Iraq is a legitimate military target. U.S., Coalition and Iraqisecurity forces will continue to capture or kill the command-and-control elements of theinsurgency as a legitimate military tactic. Since 9-11, the U.S. government has made clear a goalto capture or kill those guilty of terrorist acts and we will continue to do so, governed by the lawsof war."The U.S. military's plan for Iraqi security from the start has been to create an Iraqi security forceto police the country. The experience of the last 18 months has shown it to be imperative: Thevery presence of occupation forces inflames the insurgency and public opinion. The only viableway of stopping the insurgent forces is to have Iraqi-trained forces target them, a senior U.S.military official said.Human rights organizations were quick to denounce such plans. "Experience from countries suchas Colombia, Sudan and Russia in Chechnya shows that 'death squads' and paramilitary groupscreated to combat insurgencies take on a life of their own and are often difficult to rein in,"Human Rights Watch said in the statement Monday. "Once established, it is difficult to preventthem from killing whomever they want for whatever reasons they want, opening up thepossibility that civilians will be targeted because of personal or political vendettas in violation ofthe Geneva Conventions."The statement quoted Kenneth Roth, executive director, as saying, "If this plan is real, thePentagon will rue the day it dreamed it up. They are creating a monster that could someday killthe very Iraqi democracy they say they want to build."62