WASHINGTON, March 7 (UPI) -- The latest documents released by the Army describe shootings of unarmed civilians at Iraqi checkpoints, the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday.
The ACLU also said the files show an ongoing pattern of widespread abuses of detainees by military forces in Iraq.
ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said the documents underscore the need for an independent special counsel and congressional hearings to investigate the abuses. The ACLU won release of the documents in a court case.
The Army released 1,200 pages to a select group of reporters late Friday, along with a statement and fact sheet purporting to explain the disposition of the incidents, the ACLU said.
The files describe a DVD called "Ramadi Madness" that included scenes of soldiers kicking a flexicuffed prisoner who reportedly later died.
While the government did not release the "Ramadi Madness" DVD, claiming all copies had been destroyed, the Palm Beach Post has obtained a copy of the video and posted excerpts on its Web site, the ACLU said.
