‘The US forces do not kill civilians. Yes, civilians got killed in Haditha and other places but it is the terrorists who target civilians in Iraq,” said Zebari, to a question posed by Khaleej Times on measures adopted by his government to protect civilians.

Zebari was taking part in the first pan-Arab Broadcast Forum held in Abu Dhabi recently.

“More than 40 to 50 Iraqis are killed daily at markets, places of worship and gatherings due to suicidal terrorist bombings. This is the solid truth which journalists cannot beat us on," he added. Cases of killings of civilians in Iraq, have raised worldwide concern over US conduct in the war-torn country. A case in point is a recent report filed by Iraqi police which accused US troops of rounding up and deliberately shooting 11 people in a house, including five children and four women, before blowing up the building.

Regarding video footages shown by some TV channels on American soldiers breaking into houses and killing civilians, Zebari said: “There are daily military operations but there are also videos that show scattered corpses that is more worthy to be displayed.”

On the political situation in Iraq, the minister said: “We have managed to complete the period of transition concerning the political process over the past three years, and now have a constitutional government and an elected parliament.”