Two Marines Face Court Martial regarding Haditha Situation

Two Marines Face Court Martial regarding Haditha Situation

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq- Two Marines are being charged for the incident revolving the incident in Haditha, Iraq.  Lance Cpl. Steven Tatum’s charges are “involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.”  (BBC News- Two marines to face Haditha trial)  Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani is has been charged with “dereliction of duty and failing to report and investigate deaths.”  (BBC News- Two marines to face Haditha trial)  Lt. Col. Chessani was also released of his command in April 2006 because of his role in the killings.  The Lt. Col. is the highest ranking officer since the Vietnam War to face court martial regarding his actions in combat.

The incident occurred in Haditha, which is located in the Anbar province, November 19, 2005.  Twenty-four Iraqi civilians were killed, including three women and seven children. The United States military initially reported that an improvised explosive device was set off that killed both Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas and many of the Iraqi civilians.  The other civilians were supposedly killed by ensuing gunfire with insurgents.

However, local Iraqi survivors reported that the Iraqi civilians were actually gunned down by the American Troops.  The Iraqis stated that some angry American troops killed five unarmed men in a taxi who approached the bombing, and later gunning down the other 19 Iraqis at close range.  The incident gained great notoriety through a video that showed the aftermath of the killings.  The American military later changed its stance and apologized to the survivors in Haditha.

The trial will hopefully bring justice to the victims’ survivors through forcing each person to take responsibility for their actions attacking innocent civilians.  The trial will determine the US military’s stance on unjustified behavior and must show that incidents like Haditha are intolerable and demand high sanctions.

There are many reasons that the military must sanction the individuals responsible for the deaths at Haditha.  First, high sanctions must be imposed for the Haditha crimes to dissuade others from committing similar crimes in Iraq.  Secondly, the United States can only take a vocal stand against other nations for violating human rights laws, if it holds its own citizens responsible to high standards.  Lastly, the military must sanction the men severely in order to win over the people of Iraq.

The marines will be tried in Camp Pendleton, which is located north of San Diego, California.  A trial date has not yet been set.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Two marines to face Haditha trial- 20 October 2007

BBC News- What happened at Haditha?- 21 December 2006

CNN- Two Marines to face courts martial in Haditha incident- 19 October 2007

New York Times- Haditha Charges Pressed in 2 Cases- 20 October 2007

Reuters- Two U.S. Marines face Haditha courts-martial- 20 October 2007

Time Magazine- Collateral Damage or Civilian Massacre in Haditha?- 19 March 2006

Crisis in Democratic Republic of Congo

By Meryl A. White
Impunity Watch Reporter, Western and Central Africa

NORTH KIVU, Democratic Republic of Congo – According to Human Rights Watch, the United Nations has been slow to react to murder, rape, and the indoctrination of child soldiers in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Presently, the situation in DRC is grim, as the crisis is turning into a war between Hutu and Tutsi tribes.

In the last five days of fighting, more than 100 rebels were killed by the Congolese army.  This prompted General Nkunda to call for a cease fire to avoid civilian casualties. Presently, more than 150 of Nkunda’s fighters have “fled the rebel ranks.”

More than 370,000 people who have been displaced by the fighting in the eastern region. Around 8,000 refugees have been forced into migration across the border into Uganda to seek safety. Refugees are currently entering Uganda through the Bunagana and Busanza border crossings.

UNHCR has reported that women and children are taking shelter on shop verandas in Bunagana, while other refugees are remaining close to the border crossings in hopes of returning home.

Critics of the United Nations believe that peacekeepers in the region have been “powerless to intervene in the battles between government forces and three separate militias.” Nevertheless, the 18,000-strong mission in Congo is the largest U.N. peacekeeping operation.

For more information, please see:

AllAfrica.com – Congo-Kinshasa: 8,000 Flee to Uganda – 22 October 2007

AllAfrica.com – Congo-Kinshasa: Civilians in Peril – 23 October 2007

YahooNews – Congo Fighting Displaces More Civilians – 23 October 2007

Human Rights Watch – DR Congo: Civilians in Peril – 23 October 2007

UPDATE: WFP Officer Released in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The UN World Food Programme (WFP) staff member who had been detained by the Somalia government was released today.  WFP executive director Josette Sheeran issued a statement from Rome welcoming the release of Idris Osman.  Officials had seized Osman on 17 October in Mogadishu on allegations of aiding terrorists.  The UN had decried his detention as a violation of international law and called for his release.  Osman said he was not mistreated during his six day detention and was allowed visitors.

For more information, please see:

AllAfrica.com – WFP Officer Released From Six-Day Detention – 23 October 2007

Impunity Watch – UN Food-aid Agency Official Detained in Somalia – 20 October 2007

BRIEF: Inmate dies after Israeli prison riot

JERUSALEM, Israel – Mohammad al-Ashkar, a Palestinian inmate in Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, died of wounds sustained during a riot early October 22.  Prison Authority spokesman, Lt. Col. Ian Domnitz, said that prison guards met “violent resistance” while trying to carry out a routine search for contraband and weapons at 2 a.m. on Monday morning.  An estimated 1,000 of the 2,000 prisoners took part in the riot.  Domnitz stated that prison officers responded with “non-lethal weapons” and used the correct response in view of the danger.  In addition to Ashkar, 14 inmates and 15 Israeli guards sustained injuries.

Palestinian officials claim that the number of inmates is higher and that the prison officers provoked the riot and then used violent means to regain control.  Palestinian Authority’s minister for prisoner affairs, Ashraf Ajrami, accused the prison officers of violating an agreement of no night time searches and of using “forbidden weapons” – such as rubber bullets.

The response in Palestine is widespread and immediate.  Many of the 10,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails went on a hunger strike and hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have gathered to protest Ashkar’s death and to call for the release of prisoners.  On October 23, 200 Palestinians marched in Ramallah and chanted “We want the prisoners, not negotiations.”

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Protests after Israel prison riot – 23 October 2007

BBC – Palestinian inmate dies of wounds – 23 October 2007

International Herald Tribune – 3 Palestinian militants killed by Israeli army fire – 23 October 2007

Guardian – Palestinian prisoners riot in Israel – 22 October 2007

BRIEF: Piracy Continues to Plague Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A Comoros-registered cargo ship marks the fourth ship hijacked and the fifth attacked by Somali pirates this week alone. This is just a series of attacks this year by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The Al Marjan was heading from Somalia to Kenya on Wednesday when gunmen attacked the vessel. It took several days for officials confirm the hijacking.

Two other ships were also attacked and held by pirates off Somalia’s coast on Saturday. On Sunday, pirates in two speed boats attempted to seize a UN World Food Programme (WFP) ship 60 miles from Mogadishu. The ship had just unloaded food at the nearby port. According to Peter Smerdon, a spokesman for the U.N, this makes the third attack on a WFP ship. Although, eighty percent of UN aid reach Somalia by sea, the agency has had to revert to air transport, which is more expensive.

The overthrow of the Islamic government in December by government and Ethiopian troops, has left the country insecure and unstable. The transitional government has been struggling to regain control of the country however incessant attacks by insurgents has made that feat impossible. The coast has been left virtually un-policed.

For more information please see:

Yahoo (AFP)- WFP  Renews Plea for Naval Vessels After Pirates Strike in Somalia – 22 October 2007

Reuters: Africa – Missing Ship Feared Seized by Pirates off Somalia – 22 October 2007

Yahoo (AP) – Somali Pirates Seize Ship off Africa – 22 October 2007

Impunity Watch – Piracy and Kidnapping Deepens Food Crisis -18 October 2007