U.S. `condolence' payouts in Iraq soar; Military cash given to families of civilian victims raises scrutiny.(Main)

Byline: BRYAN BENDER Boston Globe

WASHINGTON - The amount of cash the U.S. military has paid to families of Iraqi civilians killed or maimed in operations involving American troops skyrocketed from just under $5 million in 2004 to almost $20 million last year, according to Pentagon financial data.

The dramatic spike in what's known as condolence payments - distributed to Iraqi families whose loved ones were caught in U.S. crossfire or victimized during U.S. ground and air assaults - suggests that American commanders made on-the-spot restitution far more frequently, according to congressional aides and officials familiar with a special fund at the disposal of military officers in Iraq.

Defense Department officials maintain that the idea behind the payments - which officials said range from a few hundred dollars for injuries …