DOD Assessment: 4% Soldiers, 7% Marines admit abusing civilians, 17% say treat all civilians as 'insurgents', nearly 40% endorse torture to gain info

Marines with 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment announce a house search during Operation Zaidon II March 24, an operation intended to clear the city of 'anti-Iraqi forces'.

More than 40 percent of soldiers and Marines who recently served in the war zone believe torture should be allowed if it would save the life of a comrade, according to a 2006 military mental health assessment...

The study also found that 36 percent of soldiers and 39 percent of Marines believe torture should be allowed to gather information about insurgents, and 17 percent said all noncombatants should be treated as insurgents.

Of surveyed soldiers, 4 percent reported hitting or kicking noncombatants when it was not necessary; among Marines, 7 percent reported doing so.

NOTE: The original headline on this post has been changed slightly to reflect that this story has been updated since it was originally published May 3. The original report follows:

About 44 percent of Marines in a new survey believe torture should be allowed if it would save the life of a fellow Marine, according to a recent military mental health assessment...

The team was commissioned by U.S. Central Command. A copy of the team’s findings was obtained by Army Times April 30, and then released to the public May 4 at a Pentagon news briefing...

The team was commissioned by U.S. Central Command. A copy of the study’s results was obtained by Marine Corps Times.

A Corps spokesman did not dispute the team’s findings. “We are convinced that in broad outline this is an honest, sincere and faithful effort that attempts to accurately capture what our Marines think and do in combat,” said Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Scott Fazekas. “It is one more set of data in a series that has taken on tough issues. We will closely consider the report and its recommendations.”

The study also found that 39 percent believe torture should be allowed to gather information about insurgents, and 17 percent said all non-combatants should be treated as insurgents.

About one in 10 Marines reported mistreating non-combatants, the briefing slides said.

Read the rest at Marine Corps Times