U.N. challenges U.S. on illegal air strikes in Iraq

Nicolas J. S. Davies, Online Journal Contributing Writer
Just as U.S. air operations over Iraq have reached their highest level since the destruction of Fallujah in November 2004, with as many as 70 close air support missions flown on many days since October 1, a new Human Rights Report published by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq has challenged the United States to stop killing civilians in illegal air strikes. The Human Rights Report for the second quarter of 2007 was long overdue, and was finally published on October 11. The report explains that it was modified following discussions with U.S. and Iraqi occupation authorities, and this appears to account for the long delay in its publication....
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The UNAMI report provides the following details of 88 Iraqi civilians killed by air strikes, 15 civilians killed "in the context of raid and search operations" by U.S. ground forces and several incidents of torture and extra-judicial execution by members of Iraqi auxiliary forces under overall U.S. command. UNAMI investigated these incidents because a relative, a journalist or a local official brought each one to its attention. Without doubt, the U.S. Department of Defense is aware of many more killings of civilians by air strikes and ground operations, hence UNAMI's urgent demand for full public disclosure and investigation of all such killings.

March 11 - Nine civilians in 5 villages near Ba'quba killed by U.S. air strikes.
March 13 & 14 - Twelve Palestinians detained by the Interior Ministry at al-Baladiyat and tortured with electric shocks to sensitive parts of the body, forcing metal sticks down the throat, and rape and other sexual assault with metal objects.
March 15 - Two civilians killed in Dulu'iya by a U.S. air strike.
March 29 - A 14-year-old boy and three other family members killed in Mosul by a U.S. raid on the home of Zeyour Mohamed Khalil.
March 30 - Sixteen civilians killed in Sadr City by U.S. air strikes.
April 2 - Six civilians killed in U.S. raids on the homes of Bashar Mahfoudh and Walid al-Ahmadi near Mosul.
April 3 - Twenty-seven civilians killed in Khaldiya, near Ramadi, by U.S. air strikes.
April 12 - Three civilians killed in southern Haditha in a house raid by U.S. forces.
April 26 - U.S. air strikes kill four civilians in Sadr City and four more in Taji.
April 29 - Al-Kesra, Baghdad, five men found dead after being detained by Iraqi Army in al-Sifina.
April 30 - Three civilians killed by an air strike in Basra.
May 3 - Hay al-Amel, Baghdad, 16 people detained and killed by Interior Ministry Public Order Forces.
May 4th - Al-Dubbat, Baghdad, 14 civilians arrested and then shot dead by Iraqi security forces.
May 5 - Seven civilians killed by a U.S. air strike east of Baghdad.
May 5 - Hay al-Rissala, Baghdad, men guarding a mosque detained and executed by Iraqi security forces.
May 6 - One civilian killed by a U.S. air strike in Sadr City.
May 8 - Seven children killed by a U.S. helicopter attack on an elementary school in Diyala province.
May 26 - Eight civilians in Basra killed by air strikes.
May 29 - Four prisoners executed by the Kurdistan Regional Government after testifying to the death under torture of Fahmi Ismail Abu Bakr in 2005.
June 6 - Yassin Farhan and his son Sarmad killed by U.S. troops in a house raid in Baghdad.
April-June - Seventy-three percent of KRG detainees interviewed by UNAMI reported being victims of torture.
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