The Australian reports that Richard Armitage
"has rejected as 'nonsense' claims Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi personally executed six suspected insurgents in June.Posted by robe0419 at October 23, 2004 3:40 PMUS Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said he believed he had evidence that the claim by two alleged witnesses, as reported on the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne's The Age on July 17, was not true.
He is the first senior US official to make such a definitive statement about the report by award-winning journalist Paul McGeough, which alleged Dr Allawi had shot dead six blindfolded suspected insurgents at a Baghdad police station.
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The Sydney Morning Herald last night stood by McGeough's story.
Editor Robert Whitehead rejected Mr Armitage's comments, saying the paper had put the timing of the executions over a five-day period.
"To say Allawi was with American officials 'at the time' is not credible.
"I look forward to the US providing the information from their investigation," Mr Whitehead said.