Iraq blames US-led forces for army massacre

1.00pm - By MICHAEL GEORGY

BAGHDAD - Iraq's US-backed government says "major neglect" by its American-led allies led to a massacre of 49 army recruits at the weekend.

In one of the bloodiest attacks on Iraq's fledgling security forces, the unarmed recruits were shot in the back of their heads after being stopped by guerrillas posing as policemen as they travelled home for leave.

"There was an ugly crime in which a large group of National Guards were martyred," Prime Minister Iyad Allawi told Iraq's interim national council.

"We believe this issue was the outcome of major neglect by some parts of the multinational (forces)," he said without elaborating.

Al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iraq's Minister of State for national security affairs later softened the government's tone, saying he was not assigning blame but waiting for the findings of that inquiry, which is due in three weeks.

"The investigation will seek to determine whether inside information was obtained on the movement of troops and why the troops were unarmed and without armed escort," Minister of State Kassim Daoud told Reuters.

A statement by the US-led multinational forces in Iraq blamed the killings on "terrorists."

"This was a cold-blooded and systematic massacre by terrorists. They and no one else must be held fully accountable for these heinous acts," it said.

It was not clear if US-led forces were involved with or trained the army recruits at the Kirkush base where they were stationed.

Hours after Allawi spoke, an Iraqi militant group said it had abducted 11 members of the Iraqi National Guard and posted their pictures on its web site on Tuesday.

"We captured 11 of the apostates," the Army of Ansar al-Sunna said in the statement, dated Oct. 21. The authenticity of the statement and pictures could not be immediately verified.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said he had no information on the abductions.

Allawi had ordered investigators to find out if the attackers had inside information, a source close to Allawi said.

Iraq's interim government faces the daunting task of containing a relentless insurgency with security forces who cannot protect themselves ahead of elections scheduled for January.

In Washington, US officials said the Pentagon is considering delaying the departure of some troops in Iraq and speeding the arrival of others already due to deploy to boost force levels for the polls.

No final decisions have been made on whether or how to increase the US contingent from the current 138,000 to guard against violence intended to undermine the government, defence officials said.

US troops on Tuesday stepped up pressure on the rebel-held Iraqi city of Falluja, the epicenter of resistance to the interim government and its US allies.

American forces cut off roads and reinforced positions around the town as jets criss-crossed the sky ahead of an expected assault designed to crush Jordanian militant Zarqawi and his Muslim militant network.

Witnesses said US tanks and armoured vehicles blocked the main highway to Jordan that runs just north of Falluja, as warplanes roared overhead. Troops took up positions in empty buildings on the Sunni Muslim city's southern perimeter.

A civilian driver was shot dead near a US checkpoint on the highway, witnesses said. The military said it was checking the report. Only one road leading northwest out of Falluja, 50km west of Baghdad, was open to civilian traffic.

Many families have already fled Falluja fearing a US offensive to bring the city under government control.

The US military said it carried out a "precision strike" on a Zarqawi safe house in Falluja, killing one of his aides. It did not name the man or his nationality.
Residents said one house was destroyed and three damaged in the strike. Hospital officials reported no casualties.

Falluja residents deny foreign fighters led by Zarqawi are in their midst. They say they will accept the return of Iraqi security forces, but want no Americans to set foot in the city.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq