Military Rules And Regulations

The top U.S. commander in Iraq reminded troops Thursday that they must fight by the rules, after a Pentagon survey released last week showed many of them support torture in certain cases and would not report a comrade for killing or wounding civilians. In a letter to U.S. service members, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said that adhering to high moral values "distinguishes us from our enemy" and is essential to winning support among the Iraqi population -- the cornerstone of the new U.S.

A military panel in Kansas City recommended a general discharge for an Iraq war veteran who wore his uniform during a war protest. Marine Cpl. Adam Kokesh participated in the protest in March, clad in a uniform that lacked his name tag and other insignia. An administrative separation board at the Marine Corps Mobilization Command recommended the general discharge.

The Marines won't kick out an Iraq war veteran who made antiwar statements in a speech and wore part of his uniform at a protest, the service said Friday, despite a recommendation to discharge him early. The Marine Corps said in a statement that it would not proceed with the case, because it had "received sufficient indication" from Liam Madden, 22, that he would stop wearing his uniform in political activities.

Bowing to critics of its tough interrogation policies, the Pentagon is issuing a new Army field manual that provides Geneva Convention protections for all detainees and eliminates a secret list of interrogation tactics. The manual, set for release today, also reverses an earlier decision to maintain two interrogation standards -- one for traditional prisoners of war and another for "unlawful combatants" captured during a conflict but not affiliated with a nation's military force.

Facing political pressure from members of Congress, the Pentagon has dropped consideration of a plan to increase the time reservists can spend on active duty, senior Defense Department officials said Wednesday. Straining to meet upcoming troop needs in Iraq and Afghanistan, top Army generals had indicated recently that they would press the Defense Department's civilian leadership to lift a two-year limit on active duty deployments for reservists.

The U.S. Army has always tried to be an institution run by the book, with clear lines of authority. But in the unfolding Iraq prison abuse scandal, the Army's rule book has been shown to have pages missing and lines blurred. Top field commanders appeared before a congressional committee Wednesday and painted a picture of faulty communications and bureaucratic snafus, with orders issued but not seen and guidelines written but not posted.

The Defense Department will allow families of U.S. troops and others killed in Iraq to watch their loved ones' coffins be removed from military transport planes at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, according to a memo issued last month. The Pentagon said it would allow soldiers' next of kin or a "designated representative" to attend as remains are transferred from planes to vehicles that carry them to the mortuary.

The Pentagon on Wednesday issued new rules on personal relationships that will outlaw many Army romances and end some friendships, while upholding controversial sanctions against adultery throughout the services. After 13 months of contentious deliberations, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen ordered the Army to adopt the tougher line of the other services on "fraternization"--improper relationships between officers and enlisted personnel.

The army lowered the age limit for Palestinians working in the Jewish state, allowing thousands more to work legally. Avi Benayahu, a spokesman for Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, said married Palestinian men ages 23 and older will now be eligible for work permits in Israel. The previous minimum was 25. The move could allow as many as 10,000 more Palestinians to work in Israel and give an additional 1,500 businesspeople permits to enter, officials said.

After what he called a "rash" of cases of sexual misconduct by naval personnel, capped by the disclosure of a groping incident aboard a commercial airliner, the Navy's top admiral announced Thursday that he would order the entire Navy to take a day off from normal duties to "take a hard look at ourselves." Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jeremy M. Boorda said the "stand-down," which will affect 430,000 active-duty personnel, would take place in the near future.