Iraq Says US Raid "a Crime," Violated Security Pact
by: Aref Mohammed
Basra, Iraq - Iraq considers a U.S. military raid that killed two people a crime and wants U.S. forces to hand over those responsible to the courts, an Iraqi official said on Sunday.
Hundreds of Iraqis protested in the southern city of Kut against U.S. forces and the provincial governor also condemned the military operation.
The U.S. military had any immediate comment on the Iraqi stance but said the raid was carried out with the full approval of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government.
It said it had targeted "special group" fighters, its term for Shi'ite militiamen the United States says are funded and armed by Iran, in the operation early on Sunday in Kut, 150 km (95 miles) southeast of Baghdad.
"The general commander is affirming that the killing of two citizens and detaining of others in Kut is considered a violation of the security pact," said an official in the office of Major General Qassim Moussawi, Baghdad's security spokesman.
"He asks the commander of the multinational forces to release the detainees and hand over those responsible for this crime to the courts."
'General commander' refers to Maliki.
Under the U.S.-Iraqi security pact that came into force this year, the 137,000 U.S. troops in Iraq can no longer conduct military operations without Iraqi approval. Lees verder:
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