NEWS: US Administration Disputes "Civilian Deaths" Claims, page 1

White House spokesman Scott McClellan has disputed claims that around 20 civilians including children were killed during a raid on insurgents near Ramadi in Iraq by American warplanes and helicopter gunships. 70 people were killed in the air strikes near Ramadi on Sunday and local police claim that 20 of those people were civilians. Children who were gathered around the wreckage of an American military vehicle were amongst the dead according to the police. The Pentagon also state that there are no indications the the allegations are correct and say the reports are being checked by US Commanders in the area.

www.abc.net.au
The US military said on Monday it believed all those hit were "terrorists".

A US military statement said at least 20 suspected militants were killed when an F-15 aircraft bombed a group of men burying a roadside bomb.

Fifty other militants were killed in a series of separate strikes, the statement added, saying military commanders had no indications of any US or civilian casualties in the operation.

Mr Whitman said wreckage had been cleared away from a previous insurgent attack and that "a truck with a number of insurgents returned to that place and were in the process of implanting another IED (improvised explosive device) into the same location."

"That is when the (US) commander called for that airstrike," he said.

Mr McClellan told reporters, "Our military goes out of the way to target the enemy and to bring to justice the terrorists and those who are seeking to prevent democracy from taking hold through violent means."

"You're assuming things that people have different recollections about right now or have characterised very differently," he said.

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It will be interesting to see whether photos start circulating of the victims but according to most reports there is a media blackout in the area.

If the reports are true then it does not help the image portrayed of the alllied forces in Iraq.

[edit on 19-10-2005 by Mayet]