Four US Soldiers, 13 Iraqis Killed; British Soldiers Jailed for Abuse

26/02/2005| IslamWeb

Four US soldiers and 13 Iraqis were killed in central Iraq, as while three British soldiers were jailed in Germany for abusing Iraqi civilians.

Meanwhile, a US general ruled out a timeline for a full transfer of security to Iraqi security, while Iraq's leading Shiite political coalition announced it had established a committee to start talks on forming the next government.

In province of Al-Anbar, a US Marine was killed Friday, the military announced Saturday, without giving details.

The death raised to 1,483 the number of US servicemen killed in attacks or accidents in Iraq since the start of the invasion in March 2003, according to Pentagon figures.

It came as US forces moved onto a sixth day of what they call Operation River Blitz aimed at increasing security throughout western Al-Anbar province.

The military said it had arrested 51 people Friday and 155 since the operation kicked off.

Three other US soldiers were killed and nine wounded Friday when troops were hit by a roadside bomb while on patrol near Tarmiya, the military said.

In addition to the attacks on US forces, two members of the Iraqi security forces, seven civilians and four resistance fighters had been killed since Thursday, security sources said.

Meanwhile, the resistance also continued its attacks on Iraq's strategic infrastructure. A pipeline in the oil rich northern region of Kirkuk was blown up Friday night, said Ali Abdullah, an oil official from the Northern Oil Co.

In Germany, three British soldiers were jailed for abusing Iraqi civilians and were dishonorably discharged from the army in a case that has drawn comparisons with US mistreatment of prisoners at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison.

Corporal Daniel Kenyon, 33, was jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of three charges.

Lance Corporal Mark Cooley, 25, was jailed for two years for disgraceful and cruel conduct for driving a forklift truck with a bound Iraqi suspended from the prongs.

Lance Corporal Darren Larkin, 30, was sentenced to five months in jail after he pleaded guilty to assault. He had been pictured standing on an Iraqi.

Britain's army chief, General Mike Jackson, and defense secretary Geoff Hoon apologized to Iraqis for the soldiers' behavior.

PHOTO CAPTION

US snipers take position on a rooftop in Mosul. (AFP)