"I'd like to express our regrets to the families of the Iraqis killed yesterday day at the checkpoint near Al Najaf. The loss of any innocent life is truly tragic," said General Richard Myers, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff.

"Our policy of doing all we can to spare civilian life stands in sharp contrast to the Iraqi regime's constant violations of the international laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Convention, let alone decent human behavior," he said.

"The climate established by the Iraqi regime contributed to this incident," he said at a Pentagon news conference.

SPACE.WIRE