Australia rejects apology demand for Iraq shooting [View All]

[Barrett808]

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Friday it would be inappropriate to apologize to

Iraq yet for the killing of an Iraqi government bodyguard by Australian troops in a shooting mishap in Baghdad.

Australia is trying to negotiate new wheat deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars but Iraqi Trade Minister Abdul Falah al-Sudany has called for an apology for the shooting and threatened to reconsider trade deals with Australia.

Australian soldiers mistakenly opened fire on Sudany's bodyguards on Wednesday, killing one and wounding three people.

Howard said he was sorry the man had been killed but he wanted to know all the facts before he would consider a formal apology or accept any blame.

"Until I know what's happened it's not appropriate to be flinging out apologies," Howard told Australian television.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060623/wl_nm/iraq_australia_dc