US Troops Killed Iraqi Girl With ‘Warning Shot’

US Commander Expresses 'Condolences' for 'Unfortunate Accident'

A 12 year old Iraqi girl was killed today when US forces fired “warning shots” at a vehicle in Nineveh Province. The press release said the girl was standing about 100 meters behind the vehicle which was being warned: it was not clear if the drivers of the vehicle were sufficiently surprised by the shooting of the innocent girl just 100 meters from them.

Colonel Volesky, the commander of US Forces in Nineveh officially “expresses his condolences to the girl’s family for the unfortunate accident.” The military says the killing is currently under investigation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.