On Combat

How can Iraqis carry out this killing within previously peaceful neighborhoods? NPRs’ Ann Garrels recent trip to Iraq shed some light on growing sectarian violence. In her 10/10/06 report “Violence Forces Iraqis to Seek New Homes” there are several enablers of violence in action apparent.

The setting: Sectarian militias and criminals are forcing different sects out of Iraq neighborhoods. A Sunni man is killed by members of the Shia Mahdi Army as he packs his furniture into a van while leaving Houria, a mixed Baghdad neighborhood. There are several enablers evident in theradio program:

Denial of blame/responsibility: Blame the victim

• Shia militiaman on forced relocation: “it was his mistake to marry into a Sunni family
• Sadr spokesman (Abu Mushtaba) “we know they have terrorists staying in their houses, we told [them] but they didn’t listen“

Deny responsibility

• Militia members “went beyond orders” when they killed one of the Sunnis
• They (individual fighters of the Mahdi Army) are “beyond my control”
• Note: This leads a range of questions regarding the Mahdi Army:
  Who authorizes violence? how is unauthorized violence dealt with in Mahdi Army? If spokesman claims violence was unsanctioned, what self-discipline took place within the unit?

Killings not guided by reason

• Result of passion, not reason–”not like physics or mathematics”
• Reciprocity/Reprisal–the militiamen see bad things happen then do bad things themselves”–without a strong force of restraint and self-control, violence becomes mindless and feeds on further violence

Distance-emotional distance because killers are from outside the neighborhood

• Killing done by outsiders, not neighbors
• Unknown if it is intentional that outsiders are stationed in neighborhoods

Fear

• Fear of all strangers “everyone is wary of strangers”
• Fear of outsiders, because they are the killers (death squads, terrorists, criminals)

All highlight the dangerous moral momentum of a group—considerable control is needed to stop faceless group action, and that violence feeds violence casting off lines of restraint.