Pentagon denies it targeted Iraqi market
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A marketplace in the Iraqi capital was not an intended target of a U.S.-led coalition attack, Pentagon officials said.
The U.S. response to the incident came after Iraqi officials earlier in the day accused the United States of bombing the Baghdad market, killing 15 people.
Television images from regional networks showed crumbling buildings, burned out cars and injured people from the Baghdad bombing, saying the Iraqis blamed coalition bombs for the damage.
At a Wednesday news conference, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal said the Pentagon did not know what caused the damage and deaths at the marketplace.
McChrystal said coalition forces did not target any sites in the area. He said the damage could have been caused by a surface-to-air missile fired by the Iraqis or fallout from Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery.
U.S. Central Command Wednesday said it destroyed nine surface-to-air missile sites around Baghdad in the early morning. According to McChrystal, the attack was separate from the marketplace incident, but added, "We can't make any assumption. We do know we did not target in the residential district."
"We do regret the loss of any civilian life in any conflict," McChrystal said.
Reacting to images of the incident, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said both Iraq and coalition forces need to do better to avoid civilian injuries and deaths.
