US troops kill seven civilians at checkpoint: US military Mon Mar 31, 5:59 PM ET
AS-SALIYAH, Qatar (AFP) - US troops opened fire on a civilian vehicle at a military checkpoint in southern Iraq, killing seven people and wounding two, a US military spokesman said. The shooting occurred at a checkpoint manned by soldiers from the US Army's Third Infantry Division at Najaf, 150 kilometers (95 miles) south of Baghdad, on Monday afternoon, Navy Lieutenant Commander Charles Owens said here. He said the victims, women and children, were in a vehicle that failed to stop despite repeated warning shots fired by US troops. Four people in the vehicle escaped unharmed. "As a last resort, they (US troops) fired into the passenger compartment of the vehicle," Owens said at US Central Command's forward planning base here. "When soldiers opened the vehicle they found 13 women and children inside. Seven of the occupants were dead, two were wounded and four were unharmed." Owens said an investigation had been opened. He said the vehicle had approached the checkpoint on Route 9 in Najaf and was motioned to stop by US troops. When it kept going a warning shot was fired, which failed to halt its progress, Owens said, after which soldiers fired into the engine. When that too had no effect, troops opened fire on the passenger compartment, Owens said. A written statement issued by Cental Command later said "initial reports indicate the soldiers responded in accordance with the rules of engagement to protect themselves." "In light of recent terrorist attacks by the Iraqi regime, the soldiers exercised considerable restraint to avoid the unnecessary loss of life." The shooting came as US forces in Iraq were on an increased state of alert following a suicide car-bombing, also near Najaf, on Saturday that killed four US soldiers. On Monday, a senior US commander, Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, told reporters here that US troops were displaying a "heightened awareness" in their encounters with Iraqi civilians as they tried to determine "whether a threat is posed or not." "In some cases there may be a threat and a non-threat in the same action coming toward you. It's very, very difficult to sort that out." __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more http://platinum.yahoo.com Srpska Informativna Mreza [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.antic.org/
