Ex-soldiers clash with US troops

British and US troops clashed on Sunday with hundreds of former soldiers of Saddam Hussein’s Army in a second day of violent confrontat...

British and US troops clashed on Sunday with hundreds of former soldiers of Saddam Hussein’s Army in a second day of violent confrontations which have left at least three Iraqis dead and scores wounded.

British soldiers fired rubber bullets to disperse former Iraqi conscripts who hurled rocks and set tyres ablaze in Basra. The protesters gathered on Sunday after a British soldier shot dead an armed man in Basra the previous day during clashes with Iraqis who had gathered to collect redundancy payments for being laid off from the Iraqi Army.

Ex-soldiers also clashed with US troops for a second day in Baghdad near a payment centre where they are given their $40 compensation for losing their jobs. Around 200 Iraqi men confronted US soldiers, shouting and waving their fists. Violent protests erupted on Saturday at payment centres in Baghdad, Basra and the town of Hilla. Iraq’s US-led administration said Saddam’s supporters fuelled the unrest by spreading rumours that there was not enough money to pay everyone.

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The US military said two Iraqis were believed to have been killed in the unrest in Baghdad on Saturday. Two US Soldiers were also wounded, he said.

Locals in Basra said five people had been wounded by rubber bullets. Mohammed Jasim Abboud, a protester, said former soldiers needed jobs and money. ‘‘We’ve had no wages for a while now,’’ he said. ‘‘We want our rights like everyone else.’’ — Reuters

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