Iraqi PM lashes out at US troops

Iraq's Prime Minister sharply criticized US military tactics and made a televised apology to the Iraqi people on Aug. 8. The rift marked the first day of an operation to deploy thousands of US reinforcements in Baghdad, a city of seven million people which has been carved into sectarian strongholds where it is lethal for members of rival communities to set foot. The Iraqi premier, Nouri al-Maliki, responded angrily to a US-led attack in the Sadr City area of Baghdad, the stronghold of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The raid left three people dead, including one child, and sparked fears of a violent response from the cleric's powerful Mahdi army militia. In a television broadcast, Maliki said he was "very angered and pained" by the operation, warning that it could undermine his efforts toward national reconciliation. He went on to apologize to the Iraqi people for the operation, and said: "This won't happen again." Aside from showing he can take control of the country, Maliki is also faced with the task of proving he can take a tough stand on the abuse of Iraqis at the hands of US troops. For its part, the US military said it had backed up Iraqi forces in the Sadr City raid in order to detain "individuals involved in punishment and torture cell activities." Analysts were warning last night that the war in Lebanon could spark a backlash against US and British troops from Iraq's Shia community. There is no sign of a slowdown in the killing, which is claiming as many as 110 lives every day in Baghdad alone. A series of bombings and shootings killed at least 31 people across Iraq on Aug. 8. Four roadside bomb attacks killed at least 19 people in Baghdad alone, taking a two-day death toll past 50. The deadliest bombing killed at least 10 people and wounded 69 in the al-Shorja market in central Baghdad. Earlier, two blasts targeting police and another aimed at one of Baghdad's busiest bus stations killed nine people. Eight people were wounded in those attacks.