IRAQ

Washington Post: GI Kills Head of Council in Baghdad Slum


BAGHDAD, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. military and residents of Baghdad's largest neighborhood differ on the circumstances of Muhannad Kaabi's death. Did he reach for a gun? Did he try to wrestle a U.S. soldier to the ground? Was he killed in cold blood?

They do, however, agree on the aftermath, another potential setback in U.S. efforts to court support among the crucial constituency of Sadr City. After a shouting match and fight that lasted a few minutes Sunday, a soldier shot Kaabi, the man leading the U.S.-supervised council that runs the slum, which is home to as many as 2 million people. His death left supporters of U.S. efforts grasping for explanations and handed detractors new evidence that tranquility under the occupation is impossible.

"Why would they use force against him?" asked Thamer Hamad, 30, a neighbor who joined the funeral procession Monday that escorted Kaabi's flag-draped coffin from his home. "He was the representative of this city and people trusted him."

"Die Amerikaner scheinen nervoes zu sein. Nun erschiessen sie bereits die Iraker die für sie arbeiten"