BAGHDAD — Seeking to quell outrage over allegations that Marines went on a killing rampage against unarmed civilians in Haditha, the top U.S. general in Iraq ordered all American troops in the country to undergo additional ethics training, the military said Thursday.
The announcement came a week after Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee went to Iraq on what he said was a mission to reinforce the training Marines receive in following laws regarding force and violence.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday June 06, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 41 words Type of Material: Correction
General's rank: A photograph in Friday's Section A that accompanied an article on ethics training for soldiers in Iraq showed Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli with two stars on his uniform. The photo was taken before he achieved his three-star rank.
Meanwhile Thursday, for the first time since reports emerged that children, women and elderly men were slain by U.S. troops in November in Haditha, the Iraqi government took a tough stance on the deaths. The Iraqi Cabinet agreed to open an investigation of the disputed events of Nov. 19, which left at least 24 civilians dead in the western town after a Marine was killed in a roadside bombing.
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki said that the dignity of Iraq had been trampled, and he promised to open talks with foreign soldiers to set ground rules for raids and detentions.
"We cannot tolerate violations against the dignity and security of the Iraqi people," the prime minister said.
He said some coalition troops had "no respect for citizens ... killing on suspicion or a hunch."
The Haditha deaths, also under investigation by the U.S. military, have put pressure on both U.S. and Iraqi leaders. Allegations of a massacre have provided fodder for war opponents in the United States and for those Iraqis who are embittered by and suspicious of the presence of American troops.
As for Maliki, a wary public is watching to see whether his Shiite-dominated government will take seriously the death of civilians in a predominantly Sunni Arab town such as Haditha.
"I have said that all provinces and all Iraqis are the same for us," Maliki said Thursday.
Beginning in boot camp, Marines are lectured on the Geneva Convention and other laws governing warfare. Marines being trained for deployment to Iraq receive training in the rules of engagement that govern the use of lethal force.
They also engage in roleplaying exercises to test their reactions to scenes meant to simulate the confusion and complexity of Iraq. And once they arrive here, troops are again told by Marine lawyers, noncommissioned officers and officers about the need to identify someone as a combatant before firing.
