From statements included in more than 800 claims for compensation submitted to the U.S. Army by the families of civilians killed in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2005 and 2007. The claims were obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union under a Freedom of Information Act request and released in April.
My husband was driving his car (type Kia). The multinational forces shot at him that
cause of killing him and destroy his car. I ask for compensation. Amount for the killed husband: $3,000. Amount for the damage to the car: $6,000.
—Baghdad
There is four helicopter running after person driving on the farm so the helicopter open fire on him and there is police dogs in the area. My wife hear noise outside she went out to see her kids but she attacked by the police dogs. The soldier try to help her but she died in the airplane with the same person which they followed and I try to find my wife for two month later I find her (the body) in hospital for this I asked for compensation.
—Baghdad
I was living with my family in a countryside cottage. This place contains thick reed. At the time my husband and his son were leading the buffaloes inside the reed searching their food, they had faced fire shots from a gun. They all had been killed, the two men and the buffaloes.
—Ad Duloyia, Iraq
My son was selling pizzas from a cart. I heard that there was a traffic accident. I went to help my son put away things, while I was helping him a U.S. Humvee opened fire and a bullet struck my son in the nose and exited the back of his head. He died. He was thirteen years old. He was the provider for the family. I am unable to work because of injuries I received from the Taliban.
—Kabul
The U.S. forces raid her house. She opened the door to them at 5:00 a.m. They put her and daughter away. They took her big son and put a bag on his head. The other son the small one when he saw the U.S. forces he jumped to his neighbor. They killed when he run eleven bullets. They throw him from the roof.
—Baghdad
The accident was very terrible and ugly and fearable and I watched the Iraqi car fired completely and after that it appeared that it is Kia and I watched the corpses of the victims [redacted] and the baby [redacted] and the small baby [redacted] and we transported them to the forensic medicine in the hospital and I recorded the evidences of the injured [redacted] but the others were transported to the hospital because their healthy situation was very miserable where the corpses were laid on the land and the blood was on the earth and the shooting fire was very heavy and the car fired completely and the cause of the accident was the wrongdoing of the American soldier.
—Baghdad
My son was going to school he was student at [redacted] in [redacted] grade he had [redacted] years old from your forces soldier was killed by fire of bullet and he was martyred. It is two months ago from this event and you assisted us a few and it was not enough for spending his dead. I am so very sick and I hope you helps more because we have a lot of problems.
—Kabul
The U.S. Army bombed by rocket on our area and one of these bombs falled in our field and caused one of them to shrapnel which injured me in my hips and killed two of my sons [redacted] and another son was blinded by the flash and his face was burned and for that I ask for compensation.
—Ouesat, Iraq
My husband [redacted] went out to our orchard after he saw lights and noise. Coalition forces shot and killed him and gave me some rice and other gifts saying they were sorry. I am asking for compensation.
—Kharagul, Iraq
When my husband was going to Baghdad, the multinational forces shot him in his car for no reason and he die after they moved him to the hospital. That’s why I ask for compensation. The blood money for killing my husband: $4,000.
—Baghdad
