Washington: The Pentagon has no plans to determine how many Iraqi civilians were
killed or injured or suffered property damage during the US-led war in Iraq.
This was made clear in a statement by the Defence Department on April 14, after the
passage of a measure by Congress calling n the US administration to identify and
provide "appropriate assistance" to Iraqi civilians.
Contrary to US administration's claims, correspondents covering the war have
reported that the civilian casualties are in the hundreds and probably thousands.
Congress has the power to force the administration to count how many civilians were
killed and wounded and the extent of the property damage as a result of its decision
to
unleash the war, but the Congressional action stopped short of requiring or ordering
the military forces to conduct a formal assessment of all individuals who may have
suffered from the war, as some Human Rights activists have sought.
However, it was made clear that Congress supports compensating innocent Iraqis to
buttress US claims that the war was not directed against people but against Saddam
Hussein and that the US forces tried to avoid civilian deaths and destruction of
civilian property, reported 'Washington Post'.
PTI
