Opinion: Navy Files Released By ACLU On The Human Cost Of War In Iraq

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"At every step of the way, the Bush administration and Defense Department have gone to unprecedented lengths to control and suppress information about the human cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Nasrina Bargzie, an attorney with the ACLU National Security Project. "Our democracy depends on an informed public and that is why it is so important that the American people see these documents. These documents will help to fill the information void around the issue of civilian casualties in Iraq and will lead to a more complete understanding of the prosecution of the war."

The documents that were released came from Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigations about eight events. One of these includes the investigation of the conditions concerning the death of Mohammed al-Sumaidaie, a cousin of the Iraqi ambassador to the U.S, Samir al-Sumaidaie. Within the documents for this incident were findings that cover-ups may have happened.

The documents also reveal how the Defense Department has tried to shield the public from the human lives that have been lost in the Iraqi War.

Some of the practices that have been used by the State Department include banning photographers on U.S. military bases from covering when caskets arrive containing United States soldiers, funding Iraqi journalists to only highlight the positive aspects of the war, requiring United States journalists to submit stories for pre-publication view after "allowing" them to stay with military units, erasing footage of civilian deaths on stories that journalists are covering and refusing to give real statistics on the actual number of civilian deaths.

The released documents show some of the most horrible aspects of war, the innocent civilians caught in the cross fire of a military action.

"Here I am, locked in a room with a guard, for what is said to be my own protection. Been here three days now. I don't know what you know or if I can even tell you but I've failed to do what I've always been about and what you have taught me . . . standing up for what is right. Had I done that, this mess would be non-existent." -- Letter from a U.S. Marine involved in the death of Hashim Awad to his family.

54 year-old Awad was pulled from his home by U.S. Marines on April 26, 2006. After the marines killed him on the side of the road they planted false evidence to make it appear that the man was an insurgent. The Marines attempted to cover up the story but an investigation blew the lid off of the story.

A Court Martial hearing found the following convictions:

one Marine was found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping and Kidnapping
three Marines were found guilty of Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice and Assault
one Marine was convicted of Conspiracy to Kidnap and Murder to include Willfully and Wrongfully Seize and Carry Away Awad Against his Will
one Marine was convicted of Conspiracy to Kidnap, Larceny, and Housebreaking
one Marine was convicted of Conspiracy to Kidnap, False Official Statement, Premeditated Murder, and Larceny

That is just one of the stories that the released documents tell. The documents reveal the worst of war. The stories of those who live in the land where bullets fly have a right to expect their lives not to be endangered when at all possible. Clearly this is not the case on several occasions. As more and more documents come forth from this military action it is clear that there have been crimes committed that the government of the United States would prefer to have buried under the desert sand. By denying journalists the right to report on the true nature of this war it is promoting a new stage in government that should not be repeated. People have the right and need to know what truly goes on when a military action is ongoing. Only then can educated choices be made.