The ACLU was given access through the Freedom of Information Act statistics showing how much money the United States military paid out to Iraqis whose family members were "accidentally" killed by American forces, i.e. non-combat related deaths. The number itself is quite staggering: $32 million dollars. That's not a lot of money in the whole scheme of things, seeing that the war in Iraq is costing American taxpayers approximately $5 billion per week. $2 billion per week. However, Firedoglake has put that number in perspective and it is worth our time to look at those statistics closely.
How much is an Iraqi life worth? $3,000, $2,500, $500? The ACLU has been trying to find out. Yesterday, they released 496 files which they received in response to a Freedom of Information request and now you can read them yourself. Here are just a few examples:
Army Bates 1648 - 1650 5/30/2005 Mahmodiyah, Iraq Claim behalf of Iraqi [Redacted] by parent. Claimant's son was exhumed by NCIS as part of a double murder investigation involving the Marines. Claimant was given a claims card and told to file it with FOB St. Michael for compensation regarding the exhumation. Notes that the family of the second victim has already been paid a condolence payment for same incident. Condolence payment granted: $700 US. Circumstances of incident unknown. See related claim: Army 1646 - 1647.
Army Bates 1004 - 1007 1/6/2005 July Bridge, Baghdad, Iraq Claim on behalf of Iraqi [Redacted] by wife. [Redacted], a journalist for an independent newspaper, was shot and killed by US forces as he crossed the bridge. [Redacted] was the father of four kids. Claimant had "documentation from CA confirming that U.S. troops were in the area at that time." The medical report also confirmed that a 5.56 mm round killed [Redacted]. Finding: sufficient evidence; Compensation: $2,500 US.
Army Bates 75 - 78 3/4/2003 Kandahar, Afghanistan Claim filed on behalf of Afghan [Redacted] by mother. [Redacted] (a young child) was hit by a US Humvee while crossing the road. [Redacted] was hospitalized for three weeks before dying of his injuries. Finding: negligence; Compensation: $1,500 US.
Army Bates 205 - 207 4/2/2005 Redacted Claim on behalf of Iraqi [Redacted] by husband. Husband, wife, and children were returning home from a party when they were fired on by Coalition Forces (CF). An RPG had been previously fired at CF and CF were returning fire when they struck and killed [Redacted]. The vehicle was also damaged by gunfire. Finding: not included. A condolence payment of $4,000 US total ($2,500 for death and $1,500 for damage) is offered and justified as follows: "By making this condolence payment, MNF ensures the family and community recognize the MNFs' sympathy for the unfortunate occurrence. Support will positively influence both the community and local Iraqi leaders."
Those are just a few examples. But as Siun writes, look at the numbers closely:
The math is horrific - the ACLU files show that about 40% were rejected as "combat related" and if condolence payments were made, those payments are not included in the $32million figure. Another 10% are paid nothing "because the Army could not find a "significant activity" report confirming an incident." Looking at the ACLU files, it appears that the typical payment is no more than $3,000 for a dead civilian ... a very rough estimate would mean that the $32 million in payments means 10,667 civilian deaths where the US actually agrees to pay (but of course, not to take specific responsibility). And remember that these are non combat related deaths - any hint that the civilian was even near a combat site places them outside this compensation system. One example from the ACLU files:
Army Bates 518 - 521 2/24/2005 Al Dijail, Iraq Claim on behalf of Iraqi [Redacted] by father. [Redacted], a shepherd, was tending his sheep 1,000 meters from a site where Coalition Forces (CF) detonated a stockpile of old regime ammunition. The detonation resulted in shrapnel, some of which hit and killed [Redacted]. Finding: denied due to combat exception. Finds that "detonation of ammunition" is a combat activity.
Reading these files - and realizing they are just a small fraction of the total, realizing that many Iraqis would not even consider filing such a claim - we begin to get a fuller picture of the true horror of our actions in Iraq. I've been trying all day to find words to accompany these records, a way of memorializing these senseless deaths caused by our occupation or Iraq, but no words come. We can and should demand a full investigation and a full accounting of the civilian casualties of our actions in Iraq, we can and should demand an end to the occupation ... but today, it's important that we take the time to read these files, to recognize our sisters and brothers in those dreadful bureaucratic forms and to mourn these innocent lives ... each and every one worth so much more, so much more.
In the examples provided above, the United States military paid out $700, $2500, $1500, $4000. The average of those four examples is $2175. If we divide $32 million by an average payment of $2175, we get 14,712 different payments at $2175 per payment to equal $32 million dollars. That means 14,712 deaths the military considered "non-combat related deaths." Now, the ACLU states that 40% of the total requested were denied because of "combat related activity", that means that 14,712 is only 60% of Iraqis that died by American weapons, that also tried to make a claim. That means that the total who attempted to make a claim for reimbursement is about 24,522 Iraqi civilians killed by Americans.
This of course doesn't even take into consideration that there are a number of Iraqis who probably never even attempted to get compensation for their dead. We'll never know what that number is. It may be close to zero, and it may be the same amount of Iraqis who did make a claim.
Secondly, this also doesn't take into consideration all the Iraqis Americans killed who Americans considered "enemies." Of course the Americans will not compensate those people's families. This number is only for Iraqi civilians who happened to "be in the way."
Now, this also doesn't take into consideration all the Iraqi civilians killed by sectarian violence. That number for 2006 alone was around 35,000
What does this all point to? The conclusion is probably up to each person's point of view. Some find this "worth it." Some will think this is a tragedy. Others may wonder why we're still there. And others may wonder how many more will continue dying, and why we're so inept at stopping the violence. Well, I think this should answer why the violence is so bad in Iraq. Verifiably, we've killed upwards of at least 15,000 Iraqi civilians since the war began. With so much violence, more violence is to be expected.
How can a military, which is well trained to kill, ever teach this people over in Iraq that violence is not the right answer?