U.S. admits killing (liberating) 9 Iraqi civilians

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/776015,iraq020408.article

February 4, 2008
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAGHDAD — The U.S. military said Monday it accidentally killed nine Iraqi civilians during an operation targeting al-Qaida in Iraq — the deadliest known case of mistaken identity in recent months. snip

Also Monday, 15 suspected militants were killed in U.S. raids targeting a possible hideout for a senior al-Qaida in Iraq leader northeast of Baghdad, the military said.

The Iraqi civilians were killed Saturday near Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of the Iraqi capital, Navy Lt. Patrick Evans told The Associated Press.

Evans did not say exactly how the civilians died, but said the killings occurred as U.S. forces pursued suspected al-Qaida in Iraq militants. The incident is under investigation, he said. Iraqi police said the victims, including two women, were in two houses in the village of Tal al-Samar, which was bombed by American warplanes late Saturday. They were all Sunnis, an officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The U.S. planes struck after an American convoy came under enemy fire in Tal al-Samar and soldiers called for air support, the Iraqi officer said.

‘‘We offer our condolences to the families of those who were killed in this incident, and we mourn the loss of innocent civilian life,’’ Evans said in a statement e-mailed to the AP. The Turkish bombings early Monday hit the Avasin-Basyan and Hakurk regions of northern Iraq, the Turkish military said on its Web site.

[ixion]

1. Sadly, I think we'll probably keep 'liberating' Iraq until it is free of Iraqis

at which point it will be 'free' for the oil companies to come in and exploit Iraq's oil. :(

[NNN0LHI]

2. Wait, were any of them mentally disabled?

Thats the only way dead Iraqis get any press in the US.

Don

[Hydra]

3. I'm surprised they actually admitted this

They've been killing civilian "insurgents" or "Al-Qaeda in Iraq" for years now- and almost no one has called them on the blatant genocide that constitutes.

One the other hand, why would we kill our bought and paid for terrorists instead of the native populous?

[Doctor Cynic]

4. They granted 9 Iraqis freedom from life. n/t

[scarface2004]

5. we mourn the loss of innocent life?!?!

evans is a lying sack of shit! he could care less about the loss of life...he revels in it!