<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>US investigates Falluja killing
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The video showed a wounded insurgent on the floor of the room
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The US military is looking into whether an American marine in Falluja shot dead a severely wounded Iraqi insurgent at point-blank range.
Television footage shows US soldiers entering a building as injured prisoners lie on the floor.
The soldier, from the 3rd battalion of the US marines, has been removed from the field and faces possible charges.
US-led forces said they have now gained overall control in Falluja, trapping rebels in the south of the city.
The images of the alleged point-blank shooting of an Iraqi insurgent were taken by an NBC reporter embedded with the US troops in the Sunni city under assault.
The BBC's James Robbins says the incident could prove highly damaging and that the US military will need to answer key questions about whether the rules of engagement were broken during the incident.
It must explain, he says, whether wounded combatants were abandoned, or killed, illegally.
Mosque stormed
The images show a group of marines, armed with rifles, entering a building near a mosque.
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The mosque had been used by insurgents to attack US forces, who had stormed it, killing 10 militants and wounding five.
At least three severely wounded men are seen in a room inside the building - two are slumped against one of the walls, partially covered with a blanket.
The NBC's Kevin Sites says the wounded men had been left in the mosque after marines had fought their way in on Friday and Saturday.
According to Mr Sites, one of the soldiers points his rifle at the head of one of the injured, an old man. The sound of a shot is then heard.
There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon on the report.
'Fighting to death'
US marines have been battling with sporadic but fierce pockets of resistance inside the city. They say they have already killed 1,200 insurgents in the week-long assault.
The offensive is now concentrated mainly in southern districts, where small groups of rebels are "fighting to the death", US commanders say.
Aid agencies are warning of a humanitarian disaster in Falluja, which has been without water or electricity for a week.
There are no figures on civilian deaths. It was estimated that up to 50,000 out of the usual population of 300,000 had remained in Falluja, but this number is impossible to verify.
Meanwhile, violent clashes continued in Iraq's Sunni heartland on Monday. US warplanes bombed the city of Baquba as clashes between rebels and US and Iraqi forces left some 20 people dead. At least six Iraqi troops were killed in the city of Mosul as two police stations were stormed, witnesses said. <!-- E BO -->
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4014901.stm
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IIMA -->The US military is looking into whether an American marine in Falluja shot dead a severely wounded Iraqi insurgent at point-blank range.
Television footage shows US soldiers entering a building as injured prisoners lie on the floor.
The soldier, from the 3rd battalion of the US marines, has been removed from the field and faces possible charges.
US-led forces said they have now gained overall control in Falluja, trapping rebels in the south of the city.
The images of the alleged point-blank shooting of an Iraqi insurgent were taken by an NBC reporter embedded with the US troops in the Sunni city under assault.
The BBC's James Robbins says the incident could prove highly damaging and that the US military will need to answer key questions about whether the rules of engagement were broken during the incident.
It must explain, he says, whether wounded combatants were abandoned, or killed, illegally.
Mosque stormed
The images show a group of marines, armed with rifles, entering a building near a mosque.
<!-- S IINC --><TABLE class=sibf cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=sibtbg>
Click below for a satellite picture showing key areas
Enlarge Image</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- E IINC -->
The mosque had been used by insurgents to attack US forces, who had stormed it, killing 10 militants and wounding five.
At least three severely wounded men are seen in a room inside the building - two are slumped against one of the walls, partially covered with a blanket.
The NBC's Kevin Sites says the wounded men had been left in the mosque after marines had fought their way in on Friday and Saturday.
According to Mr Sites, one of the soldiers points his rifle at the head of one of the injured, an old man. The sound of a shot is then heard.
There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon on the report.
'Fighting to death'
US marines have been battling with sporadic but fierce pockets of resistance inside the city. They say they have already killed 1,200 insurgents in the week-long assault.
The offensive is now concentrated mainly in southern districts, where small groups of rebels are "fighting to the death", US commanders say.
Aid agencies are warning of a humanitarian disaster in Falluja, which has been without water or electricity for a week.
There are no figures on civilian deaths. It was estimated that up to 50,000 out of the usual population of 300,000 had remained in Falluja, but this number is impossible to verify.
Meanwhile, violent clashes continued in Iraq's Sunni heartland on Monday. US warplanes bombed the city of Baquba as clashes between rebels and US and Iraqi forces left some 20 people dead. At least six Iraqi troops were killed in the city of Mosul as two police stations were stormed, witnesses said. <!-- E BO -->
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4014901.stm
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