WASHINGTON: The US military should be investigating the deaths of dozens of Iraqi civilians killed by its troops; instead, it is not even keeping track of their numbers, says a report released here this week.

In an investigation undertaken in late September, Human Rights Watch collected what it called credible reports of 94 civilian deaths at the hands of US forces from May 1 to Oct 1, all of which appear to have taken place in circumstances that warrant an official investigation.

In its publication, ‘Hearts and Minds: Post-War Civilian Casualties in Baghdad by US Forces’, the New York-based group deplores the fact that the US military has not kept any statistics on civilians deaths. “Such an attitude suggests that civilians casualties are not a paramount concern,” HRW said.

The military has investigated five incidents to date, and four of them resulted in findings that soldiers acted “within the rules of engagement”, hence were not liable for any of the deaths. A sixth probe — into the deaths of eight Iraqi policemen and one Jordanian guard in an incident in al-Falluja last month — is still underway.

“It’s a tragedy that US soldiers have killed so many civilians in Baghdad,” said Joe Stork, HRW’s acting Middle East and North Africa director.

“But it’s really incredible that the US military does not even count these deaths. Any time US forces kill an Iraqi civilian in questionable circumstances, they should investigate the incident,” he said.

The 56-page report, based on more than 60 interviews of witnesses and family members of victims in specific incidents, local and international human rights observers, the US military, police records and media accounts, comes amid growing public concern over US military casualties since President George W. Bush declared an end to major hostilities in Iraq on May 1.

HRW’s investigation found a “pattern by US forces of over- aggressive tactics, indiscriminate shooting in residential areas and a quick reliance on lethal force”.

HRW found that US soldiers sometimes behave in an arrogant and abusive manner, often in ways that are considered highly insulting or even taboo to Iraqis.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.