Iraq

Army says it is studying 16 more misconduct allegations

WASHINGTON - The Army reported on Friday 16 more criminal investigations into possible misconduct by U.S. soldiers against detainees and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The revised figures brought to 85 the number of inquiries by the Army's Criminal Investigation Division into detainee deaths and alleged assaults and thefts by U.S. soldiers in the region over the past year and a half. Counting 22 other investigative actions by commanders in the field, the cases now total 107 and have involved at least 111 Iraqis and Afghanis, Army officials said.

U.N. RIGHTS REPORT: The U.N.'s top human rights official said Friday that U.S.-led forces had committed serious human rights violations in Iraq since the occupation, and incidents at Abu Ghraib prison could be considered war crimes.

While crediting the United States for ending the "shocking and systematic" human rights abuses that occurred under Saddam Hussein, acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan said that the occupation forces had mistreated many ordinary Iraqis, and called for an ombudsman to monitor their behavior.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said Friday that he is sending new Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawer to the Group of Eight summit meeting beginning Tuesday in Sea Island, Ga.

Allawi made the announcement in a televised address on the U.S.-founded al-Iraqiya Arabic network in which he said Yawer's trip will be part of his strategy to revive Iraq's economy. Allawi said Iraq seeks debt relief from countries to which it owes in excess of $100-billion.

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