In March 2006 Iraqi police reported that American troops had executed 11 people in Ishaqi after capturing them in a raid, including a 75-year-old woman and a 6-month-old baby.

The US forces were later cleared of wrongdoing by a US military probe, sparking protests from the Iraqi government, who vowed to continue their own investigation.

U.S.-led coalition forces said they were looking through several buildings near Lake Tharthar in the province of Salah ad Din when Al-Qaeda-linked militants launched an attack.

[4] Adnan al-Dulaimi, head of the biggest Sunni political bloc in parliament, said, "We ask the Americans to be merciful.

Garver continued, "I see nothing in the photos that indicates those children were in the houses that our forces received fire from and subsequently destroyed with the air strike.