BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) – Relatives of two Iraqis killed by U.S. soldiers in a raid demanded justice yesterday and said they were bringing charges.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday denounced the raid as a violation of a security pact, the first crisis in an otherwise smooth implementation of a deal that sets a deadline for full US withdrawal by the end of 2011.
“We are a peaceful family and I’m still in shock at how they suddenly raided our house, vandalized everything and killed my brother and his wife,” said Iraqi police captain Muamar Abdul-Munin, who was detained in the US operation along with six others and released after government protests.
“We have started pressing charges against the US forces. We want the guilty to be brought to justice.”
The US military says the raid in Kut, 150 km (95 miles) southeast of Baghdad in Wasit province, was carried out with the approval of Iraqi forces, as required under the security pact. Under the pact, US soldiers can be tried in local courts for grave, premeditated crimes committed off base and out of uniform. Otherwise, they are subject to US military justice.
Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari denied the Iraqi military had approved the raid.
“No one knew and no one in the army or police agreed to this raid,” he said.
Close to 100,000 people have died in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, according to independent auditor Iraq Body Count, including a number of civilians killed by US forces in raids, check-point shootings or other incidents.
Since the security pact took effect this year, US troops have killed at least 45 people, most of them civilians, said Iraqi NGO Monitor of Constitutional Freedom and Bill of Rights.
But the Kut raid marked the first major outcry from the government.
Analysts say Maliki may have been obliged to react strongly to shore up his image as a defender of Iraqi sovereignty.
The raid took place in an area of the Shi’ite Muslim south where his allies made a strong showing in provincial elections in January, catapulting the increasingly assertive prime minister to political gains against Shi’ite rivals.
