http://www.news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1074672003
War films are reel deal for US forces in Iraq
ROSS DUNN IN JERUSALEM
CLIPS from films including Apocalypse Now and The English Patient are to be
used as part of new training techniques for the US army operating in Iraq.
Scenes involving troops falling victim to attackers using civilian cover are
part of a code of conduct developed for the Israeli Defence Force which
operate in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Francis Ford Coppola classic, set during the Vietnam War, and the
Oscar-winning The English Patient both include scenes where troops come under
attack from the enemy using civilian situations as cover - a hazard for the US
troops in Iraq which has already resulted in the deaths of
innocent civilians and soldiers alike since the end of the war.
American military personnel have been studying the video clips along with
other training techniques developed by the Israelis, whose methods in dealing
with Palestinians have long been questioned by human rights groups, and
recently even by their own personnel.
But while the sensitivity of the issue has been highlighted by the US
military's unwillingness to comment further on the adoption of these
guidelines, observers say it is unsurprising given the fact the situation in
Baghdad and other Iraqi cities is being increasingly compared with that in the
West Bank and Gaza.
The Israeli training material is based on a review of the Israeli Defence
Force's 11 principles enshrined in a code of conduct. These guide soldiers
dealing with Palestinians in a variety of situations such as roadblocks,
military checkpoints and door-to-door searches.
Lieutenant Colonel Amos Giora, commandment of the Israeli Defence Force's
School of Military Law, said: "We showed it to the Americans and, as I
understand, they were favourably impressed.
"There are 11 codes detailing how IDF soldiers and junior commanders are
to
behave when they come into contact with the Palestinian civilian population,
with the emphasis on the need to maintain the dignity of the Palestinians and
their humanity."
One part of the training programme concerns the treatment of Palestinians at
roadblocks, something which has come under strong criticism from human rights
groups. Over the past three years there have been 370 military police
investigations into alleged offences by soldiers against Palestinians. In the
same period, 2,201 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces.
Of these at least 207 were killed in targeted assassinations, a large number
of which were carried out by the Israeli Air Force. The release of these
figures coincides with the signing of a letter by 27 Israeli pilots who say
they will refuse to take part in any more such operations in Palestinian
civilian areas, saying they are "immoral and illegal".
Officials at the US Embassy in Tel Aviv confirmed that American military
personnel had been shown the Israeli training programme and had acknowledged
it was useful for soldiers, but declined to comment further.
Prominent in Israel's code of conduct is that the use of force must be
proportional, that anyone who surrenders cannot be attacked, and that soldiers
must show proper respect for religious and cultural sites and
artefacts.
