Patrick Leahy: “The heart wrenching reports of civilian casualties in Iraq, each one of whom represents a mother, father, son or…”

“The heart wrenching reports of civilian casualties in Iraq, each one of whom represents a mother, father, son or daughter who has been injured or killed in the crossfire or as a result of deliberate attacks, should deeply concern us. Thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children have died as a result of suicide bombs, shootings, improvised explosive devices, or from tragic mistakes at U.S. military checkpoints. There is not enough time today to discuss this issue in depth. There are too many incidents, and too many issues, from the widespread and inappropriate use of cluster munitions in populated areas which indiscriminately and disproportionately injure and kill civilians, to the despicable acts of terrorism that are designed to cause the maximum amount of suffering among innocent people. I do want to mention that both the Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development have programs in both Iraq and Afghanistan to provide condolence payments or assistance to civilians who have been injured or the families of those killed as a result of U.S. military operations.”