WASHINGTON DC - The United States warned it would withhold defense assistance to some Iraqi groups accused of alleged atrocities against Iraqi civilians.
Thursday’s announcement followed a video that surfaced earlier this week on social media, showing Iraqi government forces burning down Sunni homes in the village of Albu Ajil, near the city of Tikrit. It showed Shiite militiamen, who have been fighting alongside Iraqi forces in the battle to push out Islamic State (ISIS) from Tikrit, shouting “burn, burn.”
There have also been tens of photos circulating on Facebook and Twitter, allegedly showing Shiite fighters abusing prisoners and killing one by hurling one from a tower.
“We have withheld assistance from certain Iraqi units on the basis of credible information in the past,” US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a daily briefing on Thursday. “There’s an entire process of review that happens. And certainly if new information surfaced that warranted that -- the Leahy law being put into effect, we would do the same thing,” she added.
The US Leahy Law prohibits State and Defense Departments from providing defense material to governments that violate human rights.
“There are laws in place -- that have been in place for time -- that we have applied to some Iraqi units. And certainly we would continue to apply those if applicable. Obviously we look at any information that was available, including reports and media reports as well. But I’m not going to prejudge what that would mean in the future,” Psaki said.
Following the video, Iraq’s Sunni Vice President Osama Nujaifi expressed his concern about how civilians remain unprotected. He warned in statement that the current conflict will shape the future of communities in the country.
"The battle taking place at the moment and the incidents and actions that accompany it are what will determine the future of our country and relations between its communities," Nujaifi said.
Psaki warned that the conduct of some of the Iraqi government forces risks being viewed equal to the crimes of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).
“Their behavior must be above reproach or they risk being painted with the same brush as ISIL fighters. And certainly that’s a message that we are making clear. But they’ve indicated they’re investigating,” Psaki said.
Thursday’s announcement followed a video that surfaced earlier this week on social media, showing Iraqi government forces burning down Sunni homes in the village of Albu Ajil, near the city of Tikrit. It showed Shiite militiamen, who have been fighting alongside Iraqi forces in the battle to push out Islamic State (ISIS) from Tikrit, shouting “burn, burn.”
There have also been tens of photos circulating on Facebook and Twitter, allegedly showing Shiite fighters abusing prisoners and killing one by hurling one from a tower.
“We have withheld assistance from certain Iraqi units on the basis of credible information in the past,” US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a daily briefing on Thursday. “There’s an entire process of review that happens. And certainly if new information surfaced that warranted that -- the Leahy law being put into effect, we would do the same thing,” she added.
The US Leahy Law prohibits State and Defense Departments from providing defense material to governments that violate human rights.
“There are laws in place -- that have been in place for time -- that we have applied to some Iraqi units. And certainly we would continue to apply those if applicable. Obviously we look at any information that was available, including reports and media reports as well. But I’m not going to prejudge what that would mean in the future,” Psaki said.
Following the video, Iraq’s Sunni Vice President Osama Nujaifi expressed his concern about how civilians remain unprotected. He warned in statement that the current conflict will shape the future of communities in the country.
"The battle taking place at the moment and the incidents and actions that accompany it are what will determine the future of our country and relations between its communities," Nujaifi said.
Psaki warned that the conduct of some of the Iraqi government forces risks being viewed equal to the crimes of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).
“Their behavior must be above reproach or they risk being painted with the same brush as ISIL fighters. And certainly that’s a message that we are making clear. But they’ve indicated they’re investigating,” Psaki said.
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