Troubling Battlefield Ethics For Alleged Liberators

The AP Reports :

- Less than half of Marines and a little more than half of Army soldiers said they would report a member of their unit for killing or wounding an innocent civilian.

- More than 40 percent support the idea of torture in some cases, and 10 percent reported personally abusing Iraqi civilians.

- Only 47 percent of the soldiers and 38 percent of Marines said noncombatants should be treated with dignity and respect.

- About a third of troops said they had insulted or cursed at civilians in their presence.

- About 10 percent of soldiers and Marines reported mistreating civilians or damaging property when it was not necessary. Mistreatment includes hitting or kicking a civilian.

The survey of US troops in combat in Iraq was conducted by the Pentagon in it's first ethics study of troops on the war front.