Insurgent groups accused of war crimes

BAGHDAD -- Insurgent groups in Iraq are committing war crimes by targeting civilians in mass killings, abductions, and beheadings, a human rights group said today.Human Rights Watch, which often has criticized alleged abuses by US forces in Iraq, turned its attention in its latest report to insurgent groups such as Al Qaeda in Iraq and Ansar al-Sunnah that have claimed responsibility for attacks in mosques, markets, bus stations, and other civilian areas in Iraq.

The group also said the disregard for the lives of civilians in the mostly Muslim country was backfiring in terms of popular support for the insurgency elsewhere in the Arab world.

''People we have spoken with in the Middle East are increasingly repulsed by the behavior of insurgent groups in Iraq, even if they support a withdrawal of US troops," said Sara Leah Whitson, the region's Human Rights Watch director.

''There are no justifications for targeting civilians, in Iraq or anywhere else," Whitson said. ''Armed groups, as well as governments, must respect the laws of war."

In its report, Human Rights Watch listed 73 insurgent attacks between August 2003 and Sept. 17 this year in which at least 10 civilians were killed in each attack. The most deaths came Sept. 14-15, when a series of car bombs in Baghdad killed nearly 200.
The group dismissed the arguments that insurgent groups and their supporters often use to justify attacks on civilians -- including that their victims are legitimate targets because they support foreign forces in Iraq.

Those rationales ''have no basis in international law, which requires the protection of any civilian who is not actively participating in the hostilities."

Many on the right have said that HRW only criticise American actions , this show's them that groups like HRW are not anti American they are Pro Human rights , and they will condem who ever commits these crimes regardless of which side of the fence

HRW are correct to highlight these war crimes and they are were right to highlight the coalition war crimes earlier this year

All humans have rights , that is what makes us civilised and the Terrorists wrong , It is when the lines of humanity are crossed then the boundries between right and wrong become confused