Iraqi soldiers reprimanded over Fallujah firing

A judicial source in Anbar province has told Arabstoday that Fallujah High Court has issued an arrest warrant for Commander of the First Iraqi Army division deployed in Fallujah, Brigadier Adnan Jassim and a number of his officers.   The warrant also names director of intelligence division Major Damad Hamid, Major Fadel Ali Mohammed and Captain Jalal Jarallah. They are charged with "firing at demonstrators" at the mass anti-government rally in Fallujah last Friday, which killed six people and wounded 60 others. The court's decision was based on a lawsuit filed by the families of the victims. The source, wishing to remain anonymous, said that "the arrest warrant has been issued in accordance with Article 406 of the Iraqi Penal Code." In the same context, Iraqi Minister of Human Rights, Mohammed Shyaa al-Sudani has backed the authorities in prosecuting elements of the Iraqi army who opened fire on demonstrators in the city of Fallujah. Sudani told Arabstoday that the law and the constitution guarantees the right to file a lawsuit against any person who infringes the rights of others. Elsewhere, a medical source at Fallujah General Hospital confirmed the death of four of the demonstrators who were wounded last Friday, taking the death toll to 11. Anti-government protests across Fallujah last Friday, ended in deadly clashes between protesters and government forces. Iraqi Defence Minister Saadoun al-Dulaimi, subsequently announced that it had opened an investigation and promised to hold the military accountable for negligence. It also agreed with the Anbar province to withdraw military forces from Fallujah within 24 hours and handover security mission to the Federal Police. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki commented on the incident at the time, saying that the army was exposed to shooting in the sit-in yard, by a misled group of young people. Prominent Sunni cleric Sheikh Abdul-Malik al-Saadi, on Friday accused Prime Minister al-Maliki of trying to turn peaceful demonstrations into "bloody violence" by killing demonstrators. Saadi called demonstrators to take up arms for legitimate self-defence, he also urged politicians, ministers and judges to withdraw from the political process.