Rules of War Broken in Falluja Assault -Amnesty International

The London-based group, which gave examples of what it said were breaches of the rules by both U.S. troops and insurgents, demanded that all violations be investigated and those responsible brought to justice.

Not only had the attacking U.S. and Iraqi troops failed to take the necessary steps to ensure that non-combatants did not come under fire, but insurgents had also abused flags of truce and fired indiscriminately.

"Amnesty International fears that civilians have been killed, in contravention of international humanitarian law, as a result of failure by parties to the fighting to take necessary precautions to protect non-combatants," Amnesty said.

Amnesty said 20 Iraqi medical staff and dozens of other civilians were killed when a missile hit a Falluja clinic on Nov. 9, according to a doctor who survived the strike -- though it was not known who fired the missile.

On the same day a 9-year-old boy bled to death after being hit in the stomach by shrapnel. Unable to take him to hospital because of the fighting, his parents buried him in their garden.

Elsewhere a woman and her three daughters were reported killed when their house was bombed, Amnesty said.

It also said a British television program, Channel Four News, broadcast footage on Nov. 11 that appeared to show an American soldier firing a shot in the direction of a wounded insurgent behind a wall and then commenting "he's gone."

"Under international humanitarian law the U.S. forces have an obligation to protect fighters hors de combat. Amnesty International calls on the U.S. authorities to investigate this incident immediately," the human rights watchdog said.

It said insurgents were also reported to have violated international humanitarian law.

WHITE FLAG A RUSE

"In one incident, some Iraqis are reported to have come out of a building waving a white flag. When a Marine approached this group, insurgents opened fire on the Marines from different directions."

A U.S. military official in Iraq (news - web sites) also accused insurgents of storing weapons in mosques and schools. Insurgents were reported to be firing from a mosque on Nov. 10, Amnesty said.

"All violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law must be investigated and those responsible for unlawful attacks, including deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, and the killing of injured persons must be brought to justice," it added.

Although half the city's civilian population was reported to have left the city before the assault began, the tens of thousands left behind were in dire straits, it said. Falluja's normal population is believed to be about 300,000.

"There are concerns that a humanitarian crisis is looming with acute shortages of food, water, medicine and with no electricity. There are also many wounded people who could not receive medical care because of the fighting," it added.

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LONDON, Nov 15 (AFP) - Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said on Monday it was deeply concerned the rules of war designed to protect civilians and combatants have been violated in the Iraqi town of Fallujah.

"Amnesty International fears that civilians have been killed, in contravention of international humanitarian law, as a result of failure by parties to the fighting to take necessary precautions to protect non-combatants," the London-based group said in a report on its website.

"We are not getting the full picture of what is going on in Fallujah," Amnesty spokeswoman Nicole Choueiry told AFP on Monday.

"Some clarification needs to be made, not only to Amnesty but to the whole world because no one has a clear picture of what is going on.

"It's really unclear whether they have been abiding by (international law) or not, but there are increasingly worrying reports in the media," Choueiry said.

"There are increasing reports that civilians have died and we have been asking for clarifications as to the rules of engagement and of the total civilian casualties," she said.

"There are also worrying reports about the insurgents using civilian areas or civilian targets to lure in combatants."

In one incident, some Iraqis are reported to have come out of a building waving a white flag, Amnesty said. When a US Marine approached this group, insurgents opened fire from different directions.

Twenty Iraqi medical staff and dozens of other civilians were killed when a missile hit a clinic on November 9, according to reports from a doctor who survived the strike, the group said.

On November 11 a British television programme, Channel Four News, broadcast footage in which a US soldier appeared to have fired one shot in the direction of a wounded insurgent who was off screen.

The soldier then walked away and said "he's gone", Amnesty said.

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