Ask Amnesty

From Mike, Mercer Osceola, WI:

An April 1st AIUSA Press Release makes an important point in condemning the practice of Iraqis deceptively disguised as civilians for the purpose of attacking Coalition forces. Does AI distinguish between Iraqis who are deliberately disguised in order to deceive Coalition troops so that they can approach them and attack them as opposed to Iraqis who may simply be defending their homes, families or their villages, armed with guns, baseball bats, etc. but who are not part of the Iraqi security forces, or are these cases also considered acts of perfidy by AI?

Amnesty International USA's Vienna Colucci responds. Vienna Colucci is AIUSA's Director of Networks and one of the organization's international justice specialists.

Dear Mike:

Amnesty International uses as the basis and guidance for framing its concerns the standards set out in international humanitarian law. The first protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions (Protocol I) specifies that it is prohibited to kill, injure or capture an adversary by resorting to acts that invite the adversary's confidence in order to lead him/her to believe that s/he is entitled to, or is obliged to accord, protection. Examples include feigning the intent to negotiate under a flag of truce or surrender; pretending to be incapacitated by wounds or sickness; feigning protected status by using signs, emblems, or uniforms of the UN or other neutral entities; or pretending to be a civilian or noncombatant. In both our March 26 and April 1 statements, Amnesty International was clear in stating that our concerns related to Iraqi soldiers who had reportedly disguised themselves as civilians in order to conduct surprise attacks on coalition troops.