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Are All Lives Equal? Not According to the Way the US Compensates Victims
El_Kabong
Posts: 4,141
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0703/p09s01-coop.html
from the July 03, 2006 edition
Are all lives equal? Not according to the way the US compensates victims
By Anas Shallal
WASHINGTON – Question: How much is an Iraqi life worth? Answer: A lot less than an American or British life, according to the amount of compensation paid to the relatives of victims.
It's hard to get definitive data on compensation for Iraqi victims. However, it is clear that the precise sum of money paid is often done so at the whim of the commanding officer.
This compensation is channeled through a discretionary fund that is given to the field commanders, and the criteria for disbursement are subjective at best.
In the early months of the invasion, the United States paid Iraqis $106,000 for 176 claims - averaging about $600 per claim.
During the siege of Fallujah, where US soldiers killed 18 people and wounded 78 during an April 2004 firefight, the American military commander in the area paid $1,500 for each fatality and $500 for each injury.
More recently the US paid $38,000 for Haditha victims' family members. That comes up to less than $1,600 per person killed. What a bargain.
The most any Iraqi has received to date for injury or property damage is $15,000.
By comparison, the Libyan government recently settled a lawsuit for victims of Pan Am 103, which was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. The Libyans paid $2.7 billion for 270 passengers with an average payment of $10 million per death. Shortly after the war with Iraq, the Bush administration pressed for legislation to double the death benefits paid to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan to $500,000.
Last year a Seattle woman was awarded $45,000 for the wrongful death of her cat.
For Iraqis to get a claim paid is harder than getting a rebate on your iPod. First you must have all your documents in order - birth certificates, witness accounts, proof of identity, etc. Most witnesses are afraid to come forward for fear of retribution. Obtaining birth certificates and proof of identity for some is nearly impossible, due to displacement or other mitigating circumstances. Then, you must get "proof of negligence of US soldier from a US soldier or unit."
That's a task that is virtually impossible, being that US soldiers are instructed not to assume blame. The claim must be filed within 30 days of the death along with a phone number for contact, making it out of the question since the overwhelming majority of Iraqis do not have phones.
Furthermore, the loopholes are so complicated that for most Iraqis it is nearly impossible to get a claim filed, let alone paid.
When payments are made, liability is never acknowledged and oftentimes family members are asked to sign waivers to exempt US personnel from any legal action.
Beyond the initial payments there is little recourse for the families of the victim. Until today no American soldier has been prosecuted for illegally killing an Iraqi. Commanders refuse even to count the number of civilians killed or injured by their soldiers.
Under CPA Order No. 17, issued by the Coalition Provisional Authority prior to its dismantling in 2004, Iraqi courts are banned from hearing any cases filed against American servicemen or any foreign officials in Iraq.
Those who were allegedly involved in the Haditha massacre are awaiting a trial.
Waleed Mohammed, the attorney representing the victims, told The Washington Post that he has little hope for a fair outcome: "They are waiting for an outcome although they are convinced that the sentence will be like one for someone who killed a dog in the United States.... Iraqis have become like dogs in the eyes of Americans."
from the July 03, 2006 edition
Are all lives equal? Not according to the way the US compensates victims
By Anas Shallal
WASHINGTON – Question: How much is an Iraqi life worth? Answer: A lot less than an American or British life, according to the amount of compensation paid to the relatives of victims.
It's hard to get definitive data on compensation for Iraqi victims. However, it is clear that the precise sum of money paid is often done so at the whim of the commanding officer.
This compensation is channeled through a discretionary fund that is given to the field commanders, and the criteria for disbursement are subjective at best.
In the early months of the invasion, the United States paid Iraqis $106,000 for 176 claims - averaging about $600 per claim.
During the siege of Fallujah, where US soldiers killed 18 people and wounded 78 during an April 2004 firefight, the American military commander in the area paid $1,500 for each fatality and $500 for each injury.
More recently the US paid $38,000 for Haditha victims' family members. That comes up to less than $1,600 per person killed. What a bargain.
The most any Iraqi has received to date for injury or property damage is $15,000.
By comparison, the Libyan government recently settled a lawsuit for victims of Pan Am 103, which was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. The Libyans paid $2.7 billion for 270 passengers with an average payment of $10 million per death. Shortly after the war with Iraq, the Bush administration pressed for legislation to double the death benefits paid to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan to $500,000.
Last year a Seattle woman was awarded $45,000 for the wrongful death of her cat.
For Iraqis to get a claim paid is harder than getting a rebate on your iPod. First you must have all your documents in order - birth certificates, witness accounts, proof of identity, etc. Most witnesses are afraid to come forward for fear of retribution. Obtaining birth certificates and proof of identity for some is nearly impossible, due to displacement or other mitigating circumstances. Then, you must get "proof of negligence of US soldier from a US soldier or unit."
That's a task that is virtually impossible, being that US soldiers are instructed not to assume blame. The claim must be filed within 30 days of the death along with a phone number for contact, making it out of the question since the overwhelming majority of Iraqis do not have phones.
Furthermore, the loopholes are so complicated that for most Iraqis it is nearly impossible to get a claim filed, let alone paid.
When payments are made, liability is never acknowledged and oftentimes family members are asked to sign waivers to exempt US personnel from any legal action.
Beyond the initial payments there is little recourse for the families of the victim. Until today no American soldier has been prosecuted for illegally killing an Iraqi. Commanders refuse even to count the number of civilians killed or injured by their soldiers.
Under CPA Order No. 17, issued by the Coalition Provisional Authority prior to its dismantling in 2004, Iraqi courts are banned from hearing any cases filed against American servicemen or any foreign officials in Iraq.
Those who were allegedly involved in the Haditha massacre are awaiting a trial.
Waleed Mohammed, the attorney representing the victims, told The Washington Post that he has little hope for a fair outcome: "They are waiting for an outcome although they are convinced that the sentence will be like one for someone who killed a dog in the United States.... Iraqis have become like dogs in the eyes of Americans."
standin above the crowd
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I know....I guess such ideas would be considered 'utopian' to many here.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
and those are the supposed compassionate people.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
You really ought to be ashamed of this thread.
"So I made a mistake, ONE mistake, can't a man start over?! DO I HAVE TO KEEP PAYING?! Maybe I should make another mistake... maybe I should make two."
you're right, we should just tell em 'democracy doesn't come cheap, get over it!'
we're supposed to be over there liberating them, yet 3/4 of iraqis want us gone pretty much the same % sees us as occupiers.
so we build em a few fuckin schools (who got the contract? i wonder how many overcharges there were?) most don't have power on a constant basis or clean water! i'm sure from the comfort of your safe home it's easy to push the reality of cluster bombs and depleted uranium weapons (which the un says should be illegal on both counts) they are forced to confront this reality every day
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
you're right. civilian casualities should be paid MORE
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Your an idiot.
"So I made a mistake, ONE mistake, can't a man start over?! DO I HAVE TO KEEP PAYING?! Maybe I should make another mistake... maybe I should make two."
it's spelled "you're"
i seem to remember reading about equailty on some "document" somewhere...i can't recall the name of it or the country that proclaimed it....hmmmm
Hey, typin' is hard 'n shit.
"So I made a mistake, ONE mistake, can't a man start over?! DO I HAVE TO KEEP PAYING?! Maybe I should make another mistake... maybe I should make two."
WOW!! what a intelligent response.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I know, I posted it.
"So I made a mistake, ONE mistake, can't a man start over?! DO I HAVE TO KEEP PAYING?! Maybe I should make another mistake... maybe I should make two."
"So I made a mistake, ONE mistake, can't a man start over?! DO I HAVE TO KEEP PAYING?! Maybe I should make another mistake... maybe I should make two."
actually, i'd think the person calling the other an 'idiot' is the one acting like this is 3rd grade
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
of course they should be paid more. they didn't ask for us to come over there and 'liberate' them. we are in their homeland bombing it to pieces and slaughtering their people.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Have we lost our way tonight?
Have we lost our hope to sorrow?
Feels like were all alone
Running further from what’s right
And there are no more heroes to follow
So what are we becoming?
Where did we go wrong?
Babies
Babies are essentially worthless according to insurance, children then aren't worth a whole lot either, unemployed people would probably come right after illegal immigrants etc...
We've been putting value on human life for a long time. In a society where energy is represnted by money and vice versa it's a necessary evil.
...and everyone knows the document said "All American born white land owning males were created equal"