US troops kill three Iraqi policemen
US soldiers mistakenly shot and killed three Iraqi policemen and wounded two others outside the city of Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, according to reports on Saturday.
The troops opened fire apparently believing the men were insurgents.
The incident took place at about midnight Friday at a checkpoint on the road connecting Kirkuk and Baghdad.
“The police had a roadblock on the road linking Kirkuk and Baghdad. An American patrol arrived around 2:00 am (2300 GMT Friday) and opened fire, taking the police to be guerrillas,” said Second Lieutenant Salam Zankana.
The US is to investigate the accident.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar made a surprise visit to southern Iraq to applaud the work of his nation’s 1,300-strong contingent.
Mr. Aznar arrived in Diwaniya late Friday and was scheduled to leave later Saturday.
In another surprise visit, Portuguese Interior Minister Antonio Figueiredo Lopes flew in to Nasiriyah in southern Iraq yesterday to meet Portuguese troops.
Elsewhere, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called for a January 15 summit meeting with officials from the US, UK and the Iraqi governing council in New York.
Mr Annan is keen to establish the future role of the UN in Iraq.
The White House spokesman said Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed the issue by telephone with Mr Annan on Friday.
Mr Annan wants clarification from the interim Iraqi governing council and the US-led coalition on what is expected of the UN.
Mr Annan took the decision to withdraw all UN personnel from Iraq in October following a suicide bomb attack in Baghdad that destroyed the UN headquarters, killing the UN special envoy.
