The Pentagon comes clean about bombing

Pentagon Admits Coalition Strike May Have Killed Dozens of Iraqi Soldiers

The Pentagon said a US-led coalition airstrike aimed at Islamic State may have killed Iraqi soldiers in a friendly-fire incident on Friday.

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151219/1032000206/pentagon-admits-airstrike-iraq.html

Just hours earlier, the Pentagon denied Iraqi reports that a US airstrike killed 30 soldiers and injured at least 20.

An unverified video of the alleged attack was obtained from a local source in Iraq by RT's Ruptly video agency.

According to Hakim al-Zamili, the head of Iraqi parliament's Security and Defense Committee, 30 soldiers from the Iraqi Army's 55 brigade were killed and 20 were injured in a US airstrike on the town of al-Naimiya in the al-Fallujah province."

US Defense Department spokesman Major Roger Cabiness initially said Zamili's claim was "not true."

According to the Iraqi army’s command center in Baghdad, the strike was requested by Iraqi troops on the ground. The attack was launched without an update on the location of the ground troops, the command center said, and bad weather prevented air support from differentiating between Iraqi soldiers and enemy forces.

One Iraqi commander was killed in the strike and nine others were injured, according to the command center.

MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW…

Meanwhile 21st Centruy Wire nails it

‘ISIS Air Force’: US Airstrike Takes Out Battalion of Iraqi Troops Who Were Battling ISIS

http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/12/18/isis-air-force-us-airstrikes-take-out-battalion-of-iraq-troops-who-were-battling-isis/

21st Century Wire says…

ISIS terrorists have often lamented, “if only we had an air force to provide air cover when we are fighting in the field.” Yesterday they got there wish (again).

The dubious US-led ‘Anti-ISIL Coalition’ continues to spiral out of control. As Iraqi soldiers closed in on ISIS terrorists on the ground, a US airstrike struck their column – killing approximately 20 Iraqi soldiers and injuring at least 30 more (see full report below). Addition casualty reports could rise over the coming days.

According to Hakim al-Zamili, head of the Iraqi Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, this latest incident is said to have occurred near Al-Naimiya in the Fallujah province, after the Iraqi troops freed “a strategically important area” from ISIS.

What was the US reaction to this dangerous move? Washington’s answer: “We’re looking into it.”

According to Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov:

“If they were not involved in that airstrike, than why are the Pentagon’s representatives, as leaders of the anti-ISIS coalition, hushing up the presence of their allies’ aircraft in the Deir ez-Zor region on December 6? Isn’t it because the [anti-ISIS] coalition air force gets all the information on Islamic State targets in Syria from the Pentagon?” he asked.

Watch a new video of US strikes against Iraqi troops here:

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This is not the first time the US Air Force has targeted legal military forces fighting against ISIS and al Qaeda on the ground. Two weeks ago, the US did the same thing in Syria. RT Internationalreports:

“Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said four Western coalition warplanes had been spotted over the Deir ez-Zor area in Syria on December 6, when a Syrian Army camp came under attack. An airstrike on a field camp of the 168th Brigade of the 7th Division of the Syrian Army left four servicemen dead and 12 injured. It also destroyed three APCs and four vehicles bearing 12.7mm heavy machine guns.”

Since the US-led Anti-ISIS Coalition began 15 months ago, Washington claims to have been waging war against ISIS, but clearly that has not been the case – as the US-led effort has actually coincided with a massive increase in ISIS-held territory in both Iraq and Syria. One can only conclude here that the real US agenda was never to defeat ISIS and al Qaeda/al Nusra on the ground, but rather to facilitate their growth. The facts on the ground lead to this conclusion. It was only after Russia legally entered the Syrian Conflict on the side of the Syrian government and its army – that ISIS and al Qaeda positions began to rapidly recede in Syria. The facts on the ground lead to that conclusion as well.

It’s already confirmed – beyond any doubt – that US and NATO allies Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are arming and funding al Qaeda (al Nusra) in Syria – this with the full knowledge and endorsement of Washington DC.

In addition, despite Washington’s denial of the facts, US lethal weapons and support are making it into the hands of ISIS and al Qaeda in Syria, and US ally Israel is also aiding terrorist fighters in Syria too.

Sadly, statements by US officials continue to languish in an imaginary zone of suspended disbelief and outright deception regarding Syria, and terrorist militants on the ground who are benefiting from US-led ‘Coalition’…

RT.com

A least 20 Iraqi soldiers have been killed and 30 injured in an airstrike carried out by the US military, Hakim al-Zamili, head of the Iraqi Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, told Sputnik news agency.

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“The 55th brigade [of the Iraqi Army] was hit by the US aviation. More than 20 soldiers were killed and over 30 servicemen were wounded as a result of the airstrike,” Zamili said.

The incident occurred near the town of Al-Naimiya in the Fallujah province after the Iraqi troops had freed “a strategically important area” from the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants, he dded.

According to the official, who visited the site of the attack and personally talked to commanders and soldiers of the 55th brigade, the death toll may well rise, as many Iraqi soldiers were heavily injured.

The Americans carry out airstrikes with 100% precision… How could have they mistaken by kilometers?” he wondered.

READ MORE: ‘US-led coalition disjointed in fighting ISIS as some members have own plans’ – Iraq’s ex-PM

Zamili said “it’s very dangerous” that the Iraqi forces are being hit by airstrikes and that the country “won’t allow it” to happen again.

The MP called upon the Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider Al-Abadi, to carry out an immediate investigation into the airstrike.

According to the official, Iraq is going to go to court over the incident as “this crime mustn’t go unpunished.”

However, the Iraqi Army’s Command Centre in Baghdad, the capital, said the air the strike had caused fewer casualties and happened due to miscommunication and bad weather.

“We [Iraqi Forces Command] had demanded aerial support from the international coalition air force. The airstrike was launched without an update on the advance of the Iraqi forces and the coalition forces were unable to distinguish between the fighters on the ground due to bad weather,” it said.

According to the Iraqi military, one Iraqi army commander was killed and nine servicemen were injured in the airstrike.

A Pentagon representative told RIA Novosti they are looking into the report.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said four Western coalition warplanes had been spotted over the Deir ez-Zor area in Syria on December 6, when a Syrian Army camp came under attack.

An airstrike on a field camp of the 168th Brigade of the 7th Division of the Syrian Army left four servicemen dead and 12 injured. It also destroyed three APCs and four vehicles bearing 12.7mm heavy machine guns.

The information about two pairs of warplanes, members of the US-led international anti-ISIS coalition, which were operating in the Deir ez-Zor area on the day of the attack, was announced by Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

“If they were not involved in that airstrike, than why are the Pentagon’s representatives, as leaders of the anti-ISIS coalition, hushing up the presence of their allies’ aircraft in the Deir ez-Zor region on December 6? Isn’t it because the [anti-ISIS] coalition air force gets all the information on Islamic State targets in Syria from the Pentagon?” he asked.

The US has been bombing IS positions in Iraq since August 2014. However, according to Iraq’s former PM Nouri al-Maliki, this campaign has been “unbelievably” ineffective in fighting the terror group.

“It’s unbelievable and unacceptable that more than 60 nations comprising this coalition that have the most modern aircraft and weapons at their disposal have been conducting their campaign in Iraq for 14 months and IS still remains in the country,” he told RT’s Arabic-language sister-channel Rusiya Al-Yaum in November.