US admits it fired on anti-Qaeda fighters in Iraq

Source: AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The US military acknowledged on Sunday that it fired on a group of its anti-Qaeda allies in Iraq in an attack the leader of the group said killed three people and sparked angry protests.

Military spokesman Major Brad Leighton said members of the Awakening group fighting Al-Qaeda in the village of Jurf al-Sakher about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Baghdad mistakenly shot at US forces, who returned fire.

"We came under fire first and returned fire. We believe the (Awakening) mistakenly targeted us and we may have killed three" Awakening members, Leighton told AFP.

The leader of the group, Sabah al-Janabi, and local police official Ali al-Lami said that a US helicopter on Saturday fired on the group, killing three.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080217/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunresthilla_080217081946

...we have the best military in the world!

(SARCASM)

We are in a shit hole there, and we should leave. The longer we are there, the worse it is.

that is, that the Awakening Force fired on the US troops FIRST, this is a totally bullshit headline.

Either the US fired first, and the quote in the story is a lie, or the Iraqi's fired first and the report is presented in flagrante merda tauruum extremis

go to war. but real people are bleeding and dying and nobody seems to care

Admitting guilt and paying swift compensation is whats happening. I doubt the families will refuse the apology as that means........they will want MORE to be paid for their loss.

Its the Arab way. It's the culture the US is showing respect for as opposed to flat out denial the incident happened.

Like I'm believing that crap! I don't believe al-qaeda wears uniforms!

HILLA, Iraq (AFP) Members of an anti-Qaeda "Awakening" front in a central Iraqi village have returned to their posts after ending a dispute with the US military sparked by a deadly air raid, officials said on Tuesday.
"After (a) brief time off, they returned to their duties," a US military spokesman, navy Lieutenant Michael Street, told AFP.

Tribal leader Sabah al-Janabi, who heads the group, confirmed his men had returned to their posts after a meeting on Tuesday with US military commanders.


snip
http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2008/02/19/iraqi_tribal_allies_end_dispute_with_us_military/afp/

An under$tanding wa$ reached in the typical tribal customary way.. They can't rejoin AQ and keep their heads on level shoulders anymore