Courtesy Photo | Maj. John Hodge, A Company commander, 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion, of Huntington, W....... read more read more
By Maj. Roderick Cunningham
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
MOSUL, Iraq – The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division's brigade operational legal team, and the 403rd Civil Affairs Detachment conducted civil military operations center activities at the Provincial Joint Coordination Center Jan. 12.
"The PJCC provides an easy and safe means for the local citizens of Mosul to submit claims for damage to their property or persons. This process has been in place on the military installation for more than a year," said Maj. John Hodge, commander Alpha Company, 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion, of Huntington, W. Va.
"The purpose of the PJCC is to receive claims from Iraqi citizens who have been involved in accidents or escalation of force incidents with the Coalition Forces," he continued.
"The residents of Mosul conveyed to the district and provincial government that they did not feel comfortable entering U.S. military installations because of possible observation by anti-Iraqi forces and potential for extortion or bodily harm", said Hodge.
As a result of these comments Hodge explained, Coalition Forces and the Iraqi government worked together to find a location in the city that will provide the citizens what they require, thus the PJCC was established. The benefits of this location to the Iraqi people are accessibility and security.
"Coalition Forces are more than willing to accommodate the local populace in an effort to ensure that legitimate claims are handled in a timely, efficient, and accurate manner," said Hodge. "Recently the PJCC handled 23 cases involving new filings, additional evidence, payments and denials and disbursed approximately $23,500", he added.
When Iraqi's make claims for damages or injury caused by Coalition Forces, the legal team must investigate their claim.
"Each week we gather new claims from Iraqis who claim they have been injured or have had their property damaged by Coalition Forces," said Capt. Carol Brewer, brigade judge advocate, 4th BCT, 1 CD, of Long Island, N.Y. "The BOLT team gathers evidence to support or deny these claims. If they find support in our records to verify the claim, they can recommend payment, and if it is approved, they will make a payment to the Iraqi to compensate them for the damage we caused," she continued.
"When we can not show that the damage was caused by non-combat related actions we (Coalition Forces) must deny the claim," said Brewer. "These Iraqis are referred to the Mosul Provincial Hall for the Iraqi government officials to address. This is a tool for the command to show the Iraqi people that we are here to help them and make it right when we do cause some injury or damage," she said.
An example of a claim is when a man was unintentionally shot during an escalation of force, said Hodge.
"Coalition forces were patrolling when anti-Iraqi forces detonated an improvised explosive device attacking the convoy, they also began firing at them. Coalition forces returned fire and in the ensuing firefight a local national was shot and killed by a stray bullet," said Hodge. "Even though there was no way to determine whether the local national was shot by Coalition forces or anti-Iraqi forces, coalition forces desired to offer a condolence payment to the family of the deceased. A payment of 3,700,000 Iraqi Dinar ($2,500 US) was paid to the widow," he continued. "This payment is not an admission of guilt," Hodge explained, "but rather a gift of money in an effort to lessen the burden of lost income, funeral expenses, and somewhat pain and suffering for the loss."
| Date Taken: | 01.12.2002 |
| Date Posted: | 01.17.2007 14:45 |
| Story ID: | 8840 |
| Location: | MOSUL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 225 |
| Downloads: | 111 |
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