Saturday 20th of April 2024
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the value of news .....

from tonight’s 7:00PM ABC
News Report ….. 

‘A United States military probe
has exonerated US troops in the deaths of Iraqi civilians in the town of Ishaqi
in March, finding American forces followed standard procedures and committed no
misconduct, defence officials say. 

The defence officials, speaking
on condition of anonymity, say an investigation found no wrongdoing by US
forces.  

The officials say a military
fact-finding inquiry determined that US forces followed proper procedures and
that the civilian deaths were unintentional.’ 

US Clears
Troops Over Iraqi Deaths In Ishaqi 

given that the ABC report of “fact” was based on
information from an “anonymous” source, it is hardly surprising that
elsewhere …… 

‘The BBC has uncovered new video
evidence that US forces may have been responsible for the deliberate killing of
11 innocent Iraqi civilians. 

The
video appears to challenge the US military's account of events that took place
in the town of Ishaqi in March.’  

New 'Iraq Massacre'
Tape Emerges 

meanwhile, the New York Times reported that …. 

‘Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki lashed out at the American
military on Thursday, denouncing what he characterized as habitual attacks by
troops against Iraqi civilians. 

In his comments, Mr. Maliki said violence against civilians had become
a "daily phenomenon" by many troops in the American-led coalition who
"do not respect the Iraqi people."  

"They crush them with their vehicles and kill them just on
suspicion," he said. "This is completely unacceptable." Attacks
on civilians will play a role in future decisions on how long to ask American
forces to remain in Iraq, the prime minister added.’ 

Iraqi
Assails US For Strikes On Civilians 

and, of course, spinning away on the sideline …. 

‘White House press secretary Tony
Snow said that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had told U.S. Ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad that he had been misquoted. But Snow was unable to explain what
al-Maliki told Khalilzad or how he had been misquoted. 

"That is a little too
complicated for me to try to read out." Snow said at a briefing where he
was pressed to explain how al-Maliki's remarks were supposed to have been
distorted. "It becomes a little convoluted and so I don't want to make a
real clear characterization because it's a little hazy to me." Snow said.’ 

White
House Says Iraqi Leader Misquoted 

and soon we are going to get
commercials with this ……

US army — still not potty trained

From the ABC

Iraqi civilians killed in training accident: US military
A US artillery round landed in a small Iraqi town and police reported afterwards that two civilians were killed in a blast and one woman later died from her wounds, the US military says.

Three other people were also reported wounded and six houses were damaged in the town of Hibhib, north of Baghdad, after a US artillery unit fired a 155 mm round during training on Friday, it said in a statement.

"Accident in Diyala (province) kills three, injures three," the statement's headline said.

The incident came at a sensitive time for Iraqi-US relations.

New Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said last week he was losing patience with reports of US killings of Iraqi civilians "by mistake".

The US military statement said a self-propelled howitzer fired the round from a base near the bigger regional town of Baquba, 65 kilometres north of the capital.

"A short time later Iraqi police reported an explosion at a building in the town (Hibhib) that killed two Iraqi civilians, injured four others and damaged six houses," the statement said.

One of the wounded civilians was evacuated to a military medical facility but later died, it added.

Just two weeks after Mr Maliki took office, relations between his government and the United States appear to have been soured by accusations of US troops killing Iraqi civilians.

Mr Maliki told Reuters in an interview last week: "We are worried about the increase in 'mistakes' ... I am not saying that they are intentional but it is worrying for us".

Last Wednesday, a joint Iraqi-US security body said US forces had killed "by mistake" two women who were en route to a maternity hospital north of Baghdad.

The US military is also under pressure over accusations that US Marines may have killed 24 civilians in the town of Haditha last November.

In a separate incident reported by the US military on Sunday, it said Iraqi army soldiers had detained 19 "terrorists" during a search operation in eastern Baghdad on Saturday.

One of the detainees "reported having difficulty breathing" and died of a heart attack, it said.

read more at the ABC

not the news .....

‘The U.S military said Saturday it had found no wrongdoing
in the March 15 raid on a home in Ishaqi that left nine Iraqi civilians dead.
But, as with the apparent massacre in Haditha, will a military
"coverup" in this case come undone? 

The Iraqi police charge that American forces executed the
civilians, including a 75-year-old woman and a 6-month-old baby. The BBC has
been airing video of the dead civilians, mainly children, who appeared to be
shot, possibly at close range. Photographs taken just after the raid for Agence
France-Presse, and reports at the time by Reuters and Knight Ridder, also
appear to largely back up the charge of an atrocity.’ 

Press
Accounts Suggest Possible Military 'Cover-up' In Ishagi Killings

but not a word on ABCTV .....