A pregnant woman and her cousin were killed by gunfire from US forces in Iraq as they sped through an observation post to meet the waiting father-to-be at the hospital. Nabiha Nisaif Jassim, 35, a mother of two children, died as well as her 57-year old cousin, Saliha Mohammad Hassan. Jassim’s brother, who was driving the car, was wounded.
According to the Associated Press, Jassim’s brother said he saw no signs or warning from the US forces, only stopping the car when bullets entered the vehicle. The US military disputes this account, saying that the car entered a clearly marked prohibited area after receiving repeated warnings, AP reports.
“There must be a level of discipline imposed on the American troops and change the mentality which seems to think that Iraqi lives are expendable,” said Adnan Pachachi, a member of parliament and the former foreign minister of Iraq, according to Associated Press. The US military is investigating the incident.
