From MSNBC
"U.S. soldiers mistakenly opened fire on Iraqi police chasing bandits Friday, killing eight Iraqis and a Jordanian security guard and wounding nine other people in the deadliest friendly fire incident since the end of major fighting, witnesses said.
"The police came under fire about 1:30 a.m. (5:30 p.m. Thursday ET) as about 25 uniformed officers in two pickup trucks and a sedan were chasing a white BMW known to have been used by highway bandits, said Sgt. Asem Mohammed, 23, who was among the injured.
"Two of the vehicles pursuing the bandits in the darkness were painted in the blue and white colors of the Iraqi police, while a pickup truck with a gun mounted on it was white. An Associated Press reporter who saw some of the dead Iraqis said they were in uniform, which includes a blue shirt with insignia.
"As the chase neared a checkpoint near the Jordanian hospital on the west side of Fallujah, the police turned around after losing sight of their quarry and a U.S. patrol at the location opened fire, Mohammed said.
"'We were chasing a white BMW with bandits,' Mohammed said from his hospital bed. 'We turned around in front of Jordanian Hospital and some American forces started shooting at us. They continued firing for about an hour despite our pleas for them to stop and to tell them we are police and security.'
"Members of the Jordanian armed forces guarding the hospital apparently also opened fire when the Americans began shooting, catching the Iraqi police in a crossfire. One of the guards was killed.
Shoot first, I always say, and make sure there are no survivors to contradict your story!
"U.S. soldiers mistakenly opened fire on Iraqi police chasing bandits Friday, killing eight Iraqis and a Jordanian security guard and wounding nine other people in the deadliest friendly fire incident since the end of major fighting, witnesses said.
"The police came under fire about 1:30 a.m. (5:30 p.m. Thursday ET) as about 25 uniformed officers in two pickup trucks and a sedan were chasing a white BMW known to have been used by highway bandits, said Sgt. Asem Mohammed, 23, who was among the injured.
"Two of the vehicles pursuing the bandits in the darkness were painted in the blue and white colors of the Iraqi police, while a pickup truck with a gun mounted on it was white. An Associated Press reporter who saw some of the dead Iraqis said they were in uniform, which includes a blue shirt with insignia.
"As the chase neared a checkpoint near the Jordanian hospital on the west side of Fallujah, the police turned around after losing sight of their quarry and a U.S. patrol at the location opened fire, Mohammed said.
"'We were chasing a white BMW with bandits,' Mohammed said from his hospital bed. 'We turned around in front of Jordanian Hospital and some American forces started shooting at us. They continued firing for about an hour despite our pleas for them to stop and to tell them we are police and security.'
"Members of the Jordanian armed forces guarding the hospital apparently also opened fire when the Americans began shooting, catching the Iraqi police in a crossfire. One of the guards was killed.
Shoot first, I always say, and make sure there are no survivors to contradict your story!
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