U.S. seen as unaccountable in Iraqi civilian deaths
03 May 2005 14:54:01 GMTSource:
ReutersBy Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Iraqi civilians who have suffered from U.S. military operations face steep obstacles in obtaining compensation for the deaths of their loved ones or material damage, human rights analysts say.

The case of Italian agent Nicola Calipari, gunned down at a U.S. checkpoint in Baghdad on March 4 as he was escorting an Italian hostage to freedom, shows how reluctant the United States is to admit culpability, even in high-profile cases.

The United States exonerated American forces in the incident, but Rome on Monday blamed nervous U.S. troops.

"There is no reason to think that when a nameless Iraqi without international connections is the victim, the U.S. military would take it even remotely seriously," said Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies, a Washington think tank that opposes the U.S. military involvement in Iraq.

Statistics on civilian deaths in cross fire or at checkpoints in Iraq are scarce. Any released figures usually refer only to Baghdad and cover limited periods.

Marla Ruzicka, a humanitarian-aid worker, campaigned to persuade the U.S. military to keep and release civilian casualty figures and helped persuade Congress to authorize $20 million for families of Iraqi civilians killed by U.S. forces.

Ruzicka herself died on April 16 when her car was caught in an insurgent attack.

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THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION ARE ALWAYS BLAMELESS DIDN'T YOU KNOW