Top US Officials in Iraq Deplore Alleged Killing of Civilians
06 July 2006
The top U.S. diplomatic and military officials in Iraq say the alleged killing of four Iraqi civilians by U.S. soldiers is "absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable."
Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and General George W. Casey said in a statement Thursday that they understand the events are "painful, confusing, and disturbing" to the Iraqi people. They pledged to hold service members accountable if they are found guilty of misconduct.
Earlier Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki repeated his call for an independent inquiry into the allegations that U.S. soldiers raped an Iraqi girl and then killed her and three family members.
A U.S. court has charged a former U.S. Army private with murder in the case. Other U.S. soldiers are under investigation.
In the latest violence in Iraq Thursday, a suicide car bombing outside a Shi'ite shrine in Kufa killed at least 12 people, including eight Iranian pilgrims.
Police say the bomber drove his car between the vehicles carrying Iranian pilgrims and detonated explosives near the Maytham al-Tamar shrine.
On Wednesday, the U.S. military warned of a possible increase in car bomb attacks, saying the new al-Qaida in Iraq chief, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, is an expert in vehicle-borne explosives.
Some information for this report provided by AP.
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