The Pentagon's "Martyrs" And Other Tales of Collateral Damage

There are more details on the paltry sums the U.S. military pays out to the civilian victims of its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, thanks to a new GAO report [PDF]. Some highlights:

Condolence payments for death, injury, or property damage max out at $2,500 in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Under new rules, generals in Iraq may authorize payments up to $10,000 in "extraordinary circumstances."

In 2005, the military paid out $21.5 million in condolence payments in Iraq; it paid out $7.3 million in 2006. Assuming that the $2,500 maximum was disbursed in each case, that means more than 11,500 payments were made. However, the military does not keep records on the number of payments or the reasons for them. It also does not keep track of denied requests for payment.

Here's an example of the system at work: "Two members of the same family are killed in a car hit by U.S. forces. The family could receive a maximum of $7,500 in [...] condolence payments ($2,500 for each death and up to $2,500 for vehicle damage)."

Civilians may also file for up to $100,000 in compensation under the Foreign Claims Act. Between 2003 and 2006, the Pentagon paid out $26 million on 21,450 claims filed by Iraqis under the act. That comes out to an average of $1,200 per claim.

Before April 2006, no condolence payments were offered for Iraqi soldiers, police officers, or government workers wounded or killed by U.S. and Coalition operations. The Pentagon has since started offering what it calls "martyr payments" for Iraqis killed on the job.

In short: One Iraqi life is worth the same as a totaled car, but very special Iraqis may be worth up to $10,000. Also, it's very hard to do math amid the fog of war, so don't bother asking about civilian casualty figures. And being called a martyr by the U.S. government? Priceless.

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I probably shouldn't, but I find it hard to believe that there are no records for payments and/or denials.
And the fact that vehicle damage is valued the same as a lost life? That disgusts me.

Posted by: Anne on 06/02/07 at 6:03 PM Respond

Dave,
That really is a shame. These things are probably a motivating factor to (although this is changing now) some Iraqis turning a blind eye to al Qaeda or other anti coalition forces hiding out in their towns.

Thanks for doing the gruntwork of actually reading these reports and bringing us the relevant information.

Posted by: Mark on 06/04/07 at 10:06 AM Respond

So if we brought this formula home to America - as long as a serial killer compensates the family with an arbitrary sum of money the murder of innocents would be justified? Because the last time I checked killing innocent people is murder and if we've killed over 11,500 people witout just cause isn't that mass murder or at the very least mass manslaughter - if there is such a thing. Our administration is full of war criminals no better than the Nazi's, the Turks or the Isaeli's. And yes I do put them all in the same boat. especially since they all did it for invalid racist/nationalist reasons. If I believed in capital punishment, this administration would be first in line, however since I do not - I think the remainder of their lives in prison would be fitting. All you have to do is flip the script as they say and imagine how we would feel about a nice little $2,500 for the the live of your wive's husbands, children. Just because they are Iraqi, it doesn't mean they hurt any less than we do. This is despicable and a disgrace to every American. We need to put these mass murderer's behind bars for the safety of humanity.

Posted by: Sean on 06/04/07 at 11:53 PM Respond

So the Republican party and the religious right has put a price on human life and that is what they think it is worth.
'nuff said about the Republican party and the two big religions that support them. And that is what they call pro-life. Sounds totally pro-death to me. But then my opinion just doesn't count for anything, I'm nothing more than a secular liberal. Thanks to you Bill O'Reilly and Sean O'Hannity and Joe O'Scarborough and all the other religious right wingers of the pro-life movement.

The Pentagon's "Martyrs" And Other Tales of Collateral Damage

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