Ask Amnesty

From Anonymous, Grand Rapids, MI:

I have read an article in the NYT(4-9-03) about casualties in this war on Iraq and therein is stated: It is possible the casualties inflicted on Iraqi people will be unknowable? And of course, it goes on to say because of civilians/military changing clothes it will be impossible to have a number. Will Amnesty International have a figure for general knowledge? Will we be given this information?

Amnesty International USA's Alistair Hodgett responds. Alistair Hodgett is AIUSA's Washington Media Director.

Amnesty International does not have a figure for civilian deaths. While high levels of civilian casualties may be an indicator of a failure by belligerents to take sufficient precautions, not every civilian killing is a crime under international law. Whether civilian deaths in war are crimes depends upon the circumstances under which the deaths occured.

By April 4, the United States had fired 750 cruise missiles and 14,000 precision-guided missiles on Iraq. Assuming a failure or miss rate of 10 percent, almost 1,500 weapons may have missed their intended targets. Amnesty International is calling on the the Department of Defense to promptly disclose information about the locations hit by errant munitions. Furthermore, Amnesty International is calling for a full investigation of any incidents in which civilians appear to have been killed as a result of the use of indiscriminate weapons or methods, such as the civilian deaths that resulted from the use of cluster bombs in al-Hilla on April 1. Amnesty International considers the use of cluster bombs to be inherently indiscriminate and therefore in breach of international humanitarian law.