Opinion:

US Marines burning bodies of Iraqi insurgents:

Is this transparency?

by Daya Gamage

So much for the transparency, accountability and openness the United States advocates to other nations, intervening in their domestic governing style and affairs. Is it possible for anyone to believe that neither the US Central Command nor the Pentagon or the White House National Security Council knew that the Marines were involved in utter brutality in burning the bodies of Iraqi insurgents all these years since 2004? This is the question posed these days with the emergence of gruesome photographs of the incidents.

The explosive photographs, reportedly taken in the Western Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004, disclosed by the entertainment and celebrity news website TMZ.com, have sparked a Marine Corps investigation, and that's after 10 long years.

Two pictures show a Marine pouring gasoline on the enemy remains, two more images show the Iraqi soldiers going up in flames while a fifth picture captures the charred bodies.

The US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, determined the photos had not been brought to their attention before.

But the question is: With all the well intact and widespread surveillance and intelligence-gathering network the United States possesses, and the Central Command tentacles evenly and tightly spread in the AfPac region, how could they not know what went on in Fallujah in 2004; and during all these 10 years?

The TMZ.com released 41 photographs this week, but withheld a fair amount as they were too grisly to publish.

According to the website, the US Central Command, which is in charge of military operations in the Middle East, reviewed the photos to determine if they had been brought to their attention before. They determined they had not.

The Department of Defense said the pictures appear to show US soldiers in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The code outlines that it is a crime to mishandle remains.

There is no statute of limitations on the crime, which means the Marines can be prosecuted even if they're no longer active in the military. If convicted, the soldiers could go to prison.

“We are aware of photos appearing on TMZ.com that depict individuals in US Marine uniforms burning what appear to be human remains,” Bill Speaks, from the Secretary of Defense's office said.

“The Marine Corps is currently investigating the veracity of these photos, the circumstances involved, and if possible, the identities of the service members involved.

“The findings from this investigation will determine whether we are able to move forward with any investigation into possible wrongdoing.”

Desecration of corpses is a potential violation of the laws of war and the US uniform code of military justice. “You don’t desecrate the bodies of guys you’ve been in a shootout with,” said Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School.

An internal Pentagon check did not determine any knowledge of the alleged corpse-burning incident contemporaneously or since.

The US Central Command, which directs military operations in the Middle East, determined that the photos had not been previously brought to its attention, TMZ reported.

Courtesy: Asian Tribune