Iraq demands official apology for US raid

[bigtree]

Tue 28 Apr 2009

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi government has asked General Ray Odierno, the U.S. commander in Iraq, for an official apology for a U.S. raid this week that killed two people and kicked off a tide of condemnation, an official said on Tuesday.

"The prime minister sent a letter to the commander of multinational forces in Iraq condemning this act. He asked for an official apology and asked that such acts not be repeated," said Major General Qassim Moussawi, Baghdad security spokesman.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the cabinet had discussed on Tuesday the raid that led to the killing of two "innocent citizens."

The cabinet called for "compliance with the points of the pact and for legal proceedings regarding those responsible."

Families of the two people killed in the raid, a man and a woman, have said they are pressing charges.

report: http://uk.reuters.com/article/gc05/idUKTRE53R3WW20090428?sp=true




A relative tries to console a girl whose mother was killed in a U.S. military raid in Kut, Iraq. Iraq's prime minister denounced the raid, which left at least two Iraqis dead, as a "crime" that violated the security pact with Washington and demanded that American commanders hand over those responsible for possible trial. (Khalid Mohammed / AP)

[ixion]

1. why the hell is the word "crime" in quotes?

Since when is murder NOT a "crime"?

[bigtree]

2. the quotation marks

. . . are to emphasize that the leader of Iraq is personally making that observation in his statement. I think that's significant and has more consequence than the earlier admonitions which did not include the word.

[Occam Bandage]

11. Because it's preceded by "Iraq's prime minister denounced the raid...as a."

It's a direct quotation of his word for the raid.

[jody]

3. "official apology"! Why not demand US stop killing innocent people or at least demand quid pro qo,

murder 5 or 6 innocent US citizens for each murdered innocent Iraqi citizen?

[bigtree]

4. Maliki

. . . is still a ward of the U.S. military, like the rest of his besieged population.

[pnutbutr]

6. that's a great idea

In order to convince people to stop killing we should just kill more. Nothing wrong with that. :sarcasm:

[jody]

9. Why do people avoid the moral question how many innocent people murdered justifies one killed enemy?

It's the same "ends justifies the means" perspective Bush rationalized to order torture.

[pnutbutr]

12. vast majority of innocents are killed

by sectarian violence, not the US military.

[jody]

16. Sectarian violence is Iraq's problem, murder of innocents by US military as collateral damage is

CIC Obama's problem.

[pnutbutr]

5. when the Iraqi government

officially comes out condemning the car bombings and factional attacks on each other and demand the perpetrators be turned over to face trial I would consider handing over the US troops who were carrying out a legitimate operation with the support of the Iraqi government and military and happened to kill an armed civilian and a woman who jumped in the line of fire.

We should just say FU Iraq, FU Maliki, see ya, and pull all our troops out ASAP.

[jody]

7. Agree, "pull all our troops out ASAP." n/t

[JonLP24]

8. You're assuming it's true just because they said so

Whenever someone is responsible for a killing they will often make excuses. We DON'T know because we weren't there. Lot's of orphans and widows in Iraq.

[pnutbutr]

10. We can't assume it's not true either

So we might as well just pretend nothing happened

[JonLP24]

13. Sure. But statements of what happened are not facts unless corraborated by evidence

For example if they would look at the scene and see an unplanted gun in the grip of the hands of home owner then it would be plausible. But if troops were raiding my home and I had a gun I sure as hell would use it.

But people in Iraq do face trials, they are often unfair and last only 2 hours and they are hanged. That's why I won't support turning over US troops to face trial in Iraq under any circumstances.

[pnutbutr]

15. but how could you trust

a US military investigation of it's own operation?

If you used your gun they would shoot you.

[JonLP24]

18. Because we have convicted troops of murder among other things

Most military people at the top of the chain of command have little to no tolerance of mistakes and not following instructions. CID among other things are very good at getting to the bottom of this.

Maybe so but if foreign troops were raiding my home I'd fight them off and I shoot just as well as most people in the US army. My Scores range from 30-35 out of 40 with an M-16A2

[Occam Bandage]

14. The Iraqi government can't have it both ways.

Either they want to use the United States army to shut down any threats to their rule, or they don't. Things go wrong in war. People make decisions based on probabilities, and sometimes the probabilities are wrong and people die. That's what war is. You can't invite an army to operate in your territory and then pretend to be outraged when people die. The Iraqi government is exactly as guilty as the American army is here; they're all too happy to let the American army provide them with stability and security, and they accept and endorse the risks every day they do not demand an American withdrawal.

It's time we simply get out of Iraq.

[jody]

17. Agree, "It's time we simply get out of Iraq." n/t