Reading The Pictures: Family Values

Something about the caption stirred my memory. It read: In front of his distraught family, an Iraqi was detained recently by U.S. troops on suspicion of participating in sectarian violence.

Besides the taste of trauma, I made no particular connection to this photo leading this morning's International Health Tribune (European edition).

But then, something about the caption stirred my memory. It read: In front of his distraught family, an Iraqi was detained recently by U.S. troops on suspicion of participating in sectarian violence.

Once upon a time (about two months ago), the U.S. military flew into action in response to multiple scandals involving the abuse and murder of Iraq civilians at the hands of American forces. In a buzz of activity, top brass made a highly visible push to emphasize new guidelines for the respectful treatment of Iraqi suspects.

Seeing the photo, I remembered having saved an article from the NYT, published June 22, 2006. Beyond the promise of better intentions, what brought the story back was this article's last line:

New Guidelines Are Reducing Iraqi Civilian Deaths, Military Says
By THOM SHANKER

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- An average of one Iraqi civilian every day was killed by coalition forces during 2005 in incidents at checkpoints or roadblocks or alongside convoys, according to statistics compiled by the United States military in Baghdad.

That high number of civilian deaths so angered fresh commanders who arrived in Iraq at the start of the year that a three-star general ordered an internal review, resulting in new guidelines.

Thus far in 2006, the number of Iraqi civilians killed at checkpoints, roadblocks or along convoys has dropped to an average of one per week, according to the military.

The new measures, intended to lessen the chance for violent confrontations between American troops and innocent Iraqis during the daily routines, are distinct from the high-profile criminal investigations into killings of innocent Iraqis during combat operations.

But they are part of an effort initiated by Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the No. 2 American officer in Iraq, to find ways to carry out the military mission while minimizing brutal actions that wound or kill innocent Iraqis and anger and alienate the population.

The actions of American troops have earned the outrage of the new Iraqi government as well. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki lashed out at what he criticized as the "regular occurrence" of violence by American troops against Iraqi civilians.

General Chiarelli earlier this year described plans to delay firing warning shots by requiring signs, hand signals, strobe lights and even lasers to make sure civilian drivers approaching checkpoints can see the Americans clearly, especially at night.

Commanders across Iraq have been ordered to investigate all instances that result in the death or serious wounding of an Iraqi civilian, or that cause property damage of $10,000 or more, said Lt. Col. Michelle Martin-Hing, spokeswoman for the Multinational Corps-Iraq. Previously, it was not required policy to investigate all such episodes.

Colonel Martin-Hing said the initiatives also included a number of steps intended to illustrate American respect for Iraqi culture.

She said that troops had been told that when it was necessary to handcuff a suspect during a search or a raid, it should be done away from family members so as not to humiliate or anger those who are not detained.

Maybe we've got some fresh commanders in there again?

For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

(image: Shaw Baldwin/NYT. Iraq. October 19, 2006. International Herald Tribune.)

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