2006年VOA标准英语-US Troops in Iraq Cleared of Misconduct in

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By Michael Bowman
Washington
03 June 2006

A U.S. military investigation¹ has concluded that U.S. troops did not intentionally² kill innocent civilians³ in an Iraqi village. Two other incidents are still under investigation. The statements come amid continued violence and lawlessness in Iraq, including the killing⁴ of one Russian diplomat⁵ and the kidnapping of four others in Baghdad.

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In this March 15, 2006 file photo, Iraqis examine a house damaged during a U.S. raid in the rural Ishaqi area, north of Baghdad in Iraq   
  

For days, U.S. military commanders in Iraq have weathered a whirlwind of allegations of killings⁶ of civilians by American forces. Saturday, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad said one allegation is entirely⁷ without merit: that U.S. troops executed a family during a raid in Ishaqi, and then attempted to conceal⁸ the deed. Major General William Caldwell:

"Allegations that the troops executed a family living in a safe house, and then hid these alleged⁹ crimes by directing an air strike are absolutely false," he said.

What happened, the U.S. military says, is that American forces were fired on during a raid on a building believed to house an al-Qaida suspect. The troops are said to have returned fire and called in an air strike, which destroyed the building and killed the suspect - and resulted in up to nine other deaths. U.S. commanders say the troops acted in accordance with established rules of engagement.

But just what took place in another Iraqi municipality, Haditha, remains¹⁰ unclear. Local Iraqis accuse U.S. forces of going on a rampage, killing two dozen civilians last November.

An attorney - Khaled Salem Rsayef - representing claimants in Haditha says U.S. forces acted criminally, both during and after the alleged incident.

"They sealed off the whole city for a month, not allowing anyone to enter the city and arresting anyone who speaks about the incident, so the issue did not appear on television for a long time," he said. "The truth is [that] the ones who provoked this issue are the Americans themselves."

Major General Caldwell says events in Haditha remain under investigation, but stressed that coalition¹¹ troops in Iraq will be held to account for any misdeeds.

"The coalition does not and will not tolerate unethical or criminal behavior," he said. "All allegations of such activity will be fully¹² investigated, and any members found to have committed such activities - violations¹³ will be held accountable."

Officials of Iraq's new unity¹⁴ government have expressed outrage¹⁵ over alleged misdeeds by U.S. forces, and say they will continue their own investigations¹⁶.

U.S. officials have assured Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that he will be kept fully informed about the U.S. investigations under way.

Meanwhile, Russian officials say a Russian diplomat has been killed and four embassy staffers kidnapped during an attack on their vehicle in Baghdad. The officials say they are in contact with Iraqi authorities, and will press for the captives' release.

In other violence, gunmen killed at least seven Iraqi policemen, and wounded several others in Baquba. Outside the municipality, police found eight severed¹⁷ heads. Several bodies were also discovered in Baghdad with bullet wounds and signs of torture.

Amid continuing violence, President Bush has repeatedly stated that U.S. forces will remain in Iraq as long as they are needed to safeguard the nation's fledgling democracy. But some Democrats¹⁸ say a gradual withdrawal¹⁹ of American troops should be under way by year's end. Peter Welch, a Democratic congressional candidate from Vermont, delivered his party's Saturday radio address.

"We must ensure that 2006 is a year of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty," said Welch. "We must establish clear benchmarks for the Iraqis to take care of their own country and defend themselves, so that we can transition our troops out, and move to fight a smarter war on terrorism."

Welch criticized the Republican-led Congress' oversight²⁰ of funds allocated²¹ to the U.S. effort in Iraq and the broader war on terror