UN Condemns "Incredible" Civilian Deaths In Iraq

by Thalif Deen

Doctors who visited southern Iraq have witnessed "incredible" levels of civilian casualties, including a truckload of dismembered women and children in the region of Hilla about 160 kilometers south of Baghdad, according to Roland Huguenin of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"At this stage, we cannot comment on the nature of what happened exactly at that place ... but it was definitely a different pattern from what we had seen in Basra and Baghdad. I am sure there will be investigations," he added.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello said he was "deeply disturbed" by reports of the increasing deaths, and injuries, of civilians during the 22-day U.S.-led attack on Iraq.

"The conflict has reminded us once again of the cruelty of war, and that the innocent are invariably its main victims," he added.

In a report from Baghdad, the 'New York Times' said Thursday that the number of civilians killed will never be known for two reasons: some "civilians" might have been military personnel who switched to civilian clothes, and more importantly, U.S. deployment of 2,000-pound "bunker busting" bombs might have reduced some humans to fine particles.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters Thursday that one of his major priorities is to make sure that the civilian population is protected.

"I have also been hearing about situations in hospitals, lack of medication and all that. We are trying to do whatever we can with the World Health Organization (WHO), Red Cross and our own humanitarian people to see how we can get medication in as soon as possible."

UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Carol Bellamy said she was particularly concerned about the use of cluster bombs by U.S. forces in densely populated urban areas. "These cruel and clumsy weapons are already reported to have claimed the lives of Iraqi children and their use must end. The taking of a child's life is never an acceptable cost of war," she added.

Huguenin said that most of the dead and injured appeared to be victims of "bombs and projectiles."

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has already expressed concern over U.S. troops' use of cluster bombs.

"The United States should not be using these weapons," Steve Goose, executive director of the arms division of HRW, said last week. "Iraqi civilians will be paying the price with their lives and limbs for many years," he added.

While the use of the weapon has not yet been confirmed by U.S. military officials, Goose said it is evident from television images and stories from reporters that U.S. forces are using artillery projectiles and rockets containing large numbers of sub-munitions or cluster munitions.

When they fail to explode on impact as designed, they become hazardous explosive "duds," functioning like volatile, indiscriminate anti-personnel landmines, he added.

On Monday, several representatives of ICRC, Doctors Without Borders and Amnesty International addressed a meeting of the UN Security Council focusing on the high casualty rate among civilians.

"The main current concern pertains to the civilian population exposed to direct violence from combat activities. Civilians are caught in the crossfire; they are also injured, wounded and killed by aerial bombardments and intense ground fighting," Nicolas de Torrente, executive director of Doctors Without Borders-USA, told the Council.

As the conflict has intensified, he warned, the volume of casualties is growing, and hospitals are increasingly overwhelmed.

"The precarious situation of Iraqi civilians caught up in this conflict underlines the critical importance for all warring parties to fully respect international humanitarian law," de Torrente said.

"It is imperative that warring parties do their utmost to minimize the impact on civilians and prevent human suffering."

The recent suicide bombings in Baghdad against U.S. military has also reportedly prompted U.S. officials to order soldiers to shoot civilians on sight if they appear to be potential suicide bombers.