Pentagon cites evidence of international law violations in Fallujah News
Pentagon cites evidence of international law violations in Fallujah

[JURIST] The US Defense Department says that coalition forces have found evidence that mosques, hospitals and cemeteries were used by insurgents in Fallujah as battlegrounds from which to attack Iraqi and coalition forces, contrary to international law rules. At a press briefing Friday, Army Brig. Gen. David Rodriguez cited evidence that he said showed clear violations:

Today we would like to share with you some of the things the coalition found as they cleared Fallujah. We found evidence of an enemy who fully intended to fight the Iraqi and coalition forces and disrupt the process for a future free Iraq. They were heavily armed and dug in, and by that I mean there was food, water, ammunition, weapons stashed in the buildings they occupied, and they were prepared to fight.

The insurgency used several hospitals, cemeteries, and about 25 of the mosques as fighting positions, clearly in violation of international law. Coalition forces also found more than 350 weapons and ammunition cache sites, a number of torture sites, improvised explosive device factories, and videos of beheadings.

The US Department of State has this press release. The Defense Department has a transcript of its press briefing. Slides used in the briefing are available here. November's confrontation between the Fallujah insurgents and Iraqi and coalition forces has prompted several calls for investigations into possible violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. JURIST's Paper Chase has background.