R 301505Z MAY 07
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4217
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

UNCLAS GENEVA 001371 
 
 
STATE FOR IO/RHS, DRL/MLA, L/HRR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM UNHRC
SUBJECT: Five manslaughter incidents -  Geneva 2007 Communications 
Log #12. 
 
¶1.  (U) Mission has received a communication from Special Rapporteur 
on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding five 
incidents of manslaughter.  It is number 12 on the Geneva 2007 
Communications Log. 
 
¶2.  (U) Begin text of letter: 
 
Excellency, 
I have the honour to address you in my capacity as Special 
Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, 
pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2004/37, to 
General Assembly resolution 60/251 and to Human Rights Council 
decision 2006/102. 
 
I have received information regarding a number of incidents in which 
there would appear to be significant evidence that members of the 
armed forces committed such crimes as murder and manslaughter in 
violation of provisions of the United States' Uniform Code of 
Military Justice (UCMJ). The crimes would, of course,also 
constitute violations of international human rights and humanitarian 
law. However, the information that I have received suggests that 
these cases were not submitted to court martial. 
 
There are five such incidents that I would like to raise with your 
Government: 
 
¶1. According to information that I have received, the United States 
Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) investigated an Iraqi 
death occurring on or about 19 June 2003, in which "a US army 
soldier fatally shot an Iraqi national at the Safwan Bypass, Safwan, 
Iraq. Investigation established probable cause to believe SPC 
[omitted] committed the offense of... Voluntary Manslaughter when he 
disregarded the standing rules of engagement and intentionally shot 
and killed Mr. Mattar for stealing a box of MRE's." (Army CID Report 
of 8 September 2003, No. 0181-03-CID519-62190- 
5H1R/5H2/5Y2B9/9G2B/9G2C.)  It is my further understanding that the 
CID report concluded:   "This investigation is being terminated ... 
in that the action commander has indicated intent to take no action 
against the ubject and no further investigative assistance is 
required by the commander." The information that I have received 
suggests that no court martial took place in relation to this 
incident, despite the finding by Army CID that voluntary 
manslaughter had been committed. 
 
¶2. According to information that I have received, CID investigated a 
killing which occurred on 2 June 2003 in LSA Dogwood, Iraq. 
(Army CID Report of 4 August 2003, No. 0017-03-CID939- 
63985-5H3A/5Y2BO.) The extensive investigation, which included 46 
attached exhibits, "established probable cause to believe that 1Lt 
[omitted] committed the offense of Involuntary Manslaughter ... when 
1LT [omitted] gave an unlawful order to SGT [omitted] 105th MP CO, 
to shoot the tires out of a fleeing vehicle, which violated the 
rules of engagement (ROE), a lawful order which 1LT [omitted] had a 
duty to obey, and resulted in the unlawful death of Mr. Hamza."  The 
report concluded that "the Staff Judge Advocate is of the opinion 
that significant admissible evidence is available to prosecute 1LT 
[omitted] for the offense[] of Involuntary Manslaughter". 
Nevertheless, a Commander's Report dated 10 September 2004 that I 
have received states that the involuntary manslaughter charge was 
dropped because "[although an unfortunate incident, 1LT [omitted] 
clearly had no intent to injure the fleeing Iraqi criminals." 
 
¶3. According to information that I have received, CID investigated a 
homicide which occurred on 12 August 2003 near Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq in 
which "the victim and numerous other local nationals were attempting 
to sell items to members of a convoy. ... [and] 1LT [omitted], SSG 
[omitted], and SSG [omitted] while performing their duties as the 
roving patrol for CSC Qania chased away the victim and other local 
nationals, who fled on foot, east from the MSR. SSG [omission] began 
pursuing the victim on foot after the victim threw a rock just 
missing him.  1LT [omission] assisted in the pursuit and, after 
cornering the victim, told the victim to stop, using both verbal 
commands and hand signals. The victim picked up a baseball-sized 
rock and threw it at 1LT [omitted], missing him. 1Lt [omitted] then 
again commanded the victim to stop and come to him. The victim 
picked up another baseball-sized rock and threw it at 1LT [omitted]. 
 1LT [omitted] ducked out of the way, stood back up and pulled the 
charging handle of his m4 loading a round into the chamber, in full 
view of the victim.   The victim then picked up another baseball 
size rock and was attempting to throw it at 1LT [omitted] when he 
fired one (1) round from his M4 rifle, striking the victim in his 
left shoulder." (Army CID Report of 25 September 2003, No. 
0070-03-CID939-64002-5H6.)   The case was closed because "the Staff 
Judge Advocate is of the opinion the shooting was a justifiable 
homicide and it is clear that no criminal act was involved." 
 
¶4. According to information that I have received, CID investigated a 
homicide that occurred on 17 August 2003 outside of Abu Gharib 
prison, in which "a soldier accidentally shot and killed a reporter 
from Reuters News Agency."   (CID Report of 20 January, 2004, No. 
0143-03-CID259-  61191-5H9C2.)   It is my further understanding that 
the reporter, Palestinian journalist Mazen Dana, was filming outside 
the prison after having received a proper press permit from U.S. 
authorities. According to the CID report which I have reviewed, the 
soldier fired at Dana because "he believed Mr. Dana was a hostile 
combatant when he raised an unknown device to his shoulder, holding 
it with both hands.   The soldier thought the device was a Rocket 
Propelled Grenade (RPG) Launcher, but it was later determined to be 
a news agency videocamera." The report concluded that the incident 
was therefore an "accidental death", and the soldier was thus not 
prosecuted for any crime. 
 
¶5. According to information that I have received, video footage by 
journalist Kevin Sites appears to depict a marine killing an unarmed 
and wounded Iraqi man in a Mosque at point blank range on 13 
November 2004.  In the video footage, one Marine can be heard 
yelling "He's fucking faking he's dead! He's faking he's fucking 
dead!" The Marine then fires directly at the apparently wounded man 
several times. Immediately following the shooting, another Marine 
can be heard stating "He's dead now."  My understanding is that the 
Marine was investigated but not prosecuted. 
 
While I do not wish to prejudge the accuracy of these allegations, I 
would note that, if they were accurate they might give rise to 
concern about the extent to which your Government is consistently 
imposing effective penal sanctions for grave breaches of the Geneva 
Conventions and, more generally, consistently prosecuting and 
punishing the unlawful use of lethal force. (For further discussion 
of the law in this area, see E/CN.4/2006/53, paras. 33-43.) 
 
It is my responsibility under the mandate provided to me by the 
Commission on Human Rights and reinforced by the appropriate 
resolutions of the General Assembly, to seek to clarify all such 
cases brought to my attention. Since I am expected to report on 
these cases to the Human Rights Council, I would be grateful for 
your cooperation and your observations on the following matters: 
 
¶1. For each of the incidents raised above, are the facts alleged in 
the case summary accurate? 
 
¶2. For each of the incidents raised above, please provide 
information on any criminal, disciplinary, or administrative 
sanctions that were imposed. 
 
¶3. For each of the incidents raised above, has your Government 
provided compensation to the victim's family? 
 
¶4. With respect to the incidents occurring on 2 June 2003 and on or 
about 19 June 2003, why was no prosecution conducted despite the 
investigator's conclusion that the evidence indicated that crimes of 
involuntary manslaughter or voluntary manslaughter, respectively, 
had been committed? Was there any process to review decisions by 
commanders not to convene courts martial? 
 
¶5. With respect to the incidents that occurred on 12 August 2003, 17 
August 2003, and 13 November 2004,what was the legal basis for 
concluding that no crimes had been committed? Please provide 
information on any measures your Government took to prevent the 
recurrence of similar incidents. 
 
¶6. Does your Government collect information on the initial 
disposition of offenses following a commander's preliminary inquiry 
into allegations?   If so, please provide data on how many 
allegations of murder or manslaughter result in no action being 
taken, administrative action, non-judicial punishment, or the 
convening of a court martial.   Similarly, please provide data on 
the kinds of courts martial - summary, special, and general - that 
have been established in such cases. 
 
I undertake to ensure that your Government's response is accurately 
reflected in the report I will submit to the UN Human Rights Council 
for its consideration. 
 
Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest 
consideration. 
 
Philip Alston Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or 
arbitrary executions.  End text. 
 
Tichenor 
 
 
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