The Red Cross today condemned the "utter contempt for humanity" shown by both sides in the war in Iraq.
In a departure from protocol, the International Committee of the Red Cross urged all warring parties to comply with international humanitarian law and let aid workers carry out their duties.
The damning indictment by one of the world’s most respected humanitarian aid organisations comes as a US official warned it would be difficult to hold elections in January unless the situation improved.
And US commanders have said they are likely to increase their troops by several thousand as the election approaches.
The ICRC’s statement came in a week when hostage-takers apparently killed aid worker Margaret Hassan and US troops allegedly shot dead an injured fighter.
Pierre Kraehenbuhl, the ICRC’s director of operations, said: "As hostilities continue in Fallujah and elsewhere, every day seems to bring news of yet another act of utter contempt for the most basic tenet of humanity."
"Like any other armed conflict, this one is subject to limits, and they must be respected at all times."
Mr Kraehenbuhl said that complying with international humanitarian law was "an obligation, not an option" for all parties.
He told all sides it was absolutely prohibited to kill anyone not actively taking part in the hostilities; to torture or subject them to inhuman, humiliating and degrading treatment; and to take hostages.
"All parties in the conflict must provide adequate medical care for the injured, whether friend or foe, and must do everything possible to help civilians with food, water and health care," he added.
"If these rules or any other applicable rules of international humanitarian law are violated, the persons responsible must be held accountable for their actions," he said.
Violence continued to flare across Iraq today as rebels launched rocket attacks and car bombings.
Amid the continued unrest, US Lieutenant General Lance Smith said that the size of the troop increase would depend on whether the uprising grew or weakened in the aftermath of the Fallujah offensive, which he called a major success.
He estimated the number of extra troops would be roughly 5000. There now are about 138,000 US troops in Iraq, he said.
"We will make a further assessment as we get a little bit closer" to the elections scheduled for late January, "and as we understand what the impact of Fallujah is on the entire country", he said.
Meanwhile, rebels forced out during the Fallujah fighting struck back with car bombings and a rocket attack on Baghdad’s Green Zone, the leafy Baghdad enclave which houses the headquarters of the Iraqi and US leadership. Six people were killed yesterday in one car bombing in Baghdad.
Today, guerrillas armed with AK-47s and rocket- propelled grenades attacked a police station in Baghdad, killing at least three policemen, witnesses said.
Iraq is due to hold national elections by January 31 to elect a 275-member assembly in what is expected to be a major step towards building democracy. The Fallujah offensive was launched in part to thwart major rebel areas so elections could be held.
The Islamic extremist Al-Sunnah Army has threatened to attack polling stations and assassinate candidates because democracy is a "Western infidel" institution.
And the co-ordinator of US reconstruction aid acknowledged yesterday that the uprising posed a bigger obstacle to rebuilding Sunni-dominated areas now than six weeks ago.
William Taylor said it would be difficult to hold elections unless the situation improved.
"In the Sunni areas and then up in Mosul it is worse today than it was, and we’re having greater difficulties from security," Mr Taylor said at the Pentagon in a video teleconference from Baghdad.
"We’re worried that in some areas — again, not all — in some areas it would now be difficult to have elections."
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