WHAT'S TRAGIC HERE...

Iraqi official: Civilian deaths a cost of war: Says Al Qaeda strategy led to Sunni fatalities (Kim Gamel, 10/13/07, Associated Press)

The comments by government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh appeared to be tacit approval of Thursday's raid northwest of Baghdad. They suggested the Iraqi government holds the American military to a different standard when it comes to assaults against suspected Sunni insurgents. [...]

Yesterday, Dabbagh said the area targeted by American forces was a known base for insurgents, whom he accused of hiding among civilians.

"The issue of 15 civilian victims is a sorrowful matter, but confronting Al Qaeda is an essential and vital issue," he said in a telephone interview. "They shouldn't have any place among the civilians."

"We are in a war against those diabolical and wicked groups; therefore during military operations there might be innocents killed," he added. "The victims are an unavoidable matter in fighting Al Qaeda."

...is that this all apparently comes as news to Ms Gamel.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 13, 2007 9:28 AM