WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq has called on troops to take "the moral high ground" to help distinguish themselves from the enemy.
"Our values and the laws governing warfare teach us to respect human dignity, maintain our integrity, and do what is right," Army Gen. David Petraeus wrote in a letter to troops. "Adherence to our values distinguishes us from our enemies."
Emotions run high in combat, especially after comrades are killed or injured, but "as hard as it might be ... we must not let these emotions lead us -- and our comrades in arms, to commit hasty illegal actions."
The general's letter, which was posted on the Multi-National Force Web site from Baghdad, was a specific reaction to a military mental-health study that indicated only 47 percent of soldiers and 36 percent of Marines serving in Iraq between last August and September believed non-combatants should be treated with respect and dignity. The survey also indicated more than one-third of soldiers and Marines believed the use of torture was acceptable to save the lives of comrades.
The letter also coincides with legal proceedings in the United States against a group of Marines accused of killing unarmed civilians in Iraq.
"We are, indeed, warriors. We train to kill our enemies," he wrote. "We are engaged in combat, we must pursue the enemy relentlessly, and we must be violent at times. What sets us apart from our enemies in this fight, however, is how we behave.
"In everything we do, we must observe the standards and values that dictate that we treat non-combatants and detainees with dignity and respect."
