WORLD> Middle East
Briton in Iraqi custody after killing colleagues
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-10 13:25

Briton in Iraqi custody after killing colleagues
Iraqi police and soldiers secure the scene of a bomb attack in Mosul in this handout photo provided by the police, August 8, 2009. [Agencies]

Sunday's incident is the second case in less than three months involving foreign contractors, who have long been accused by the Iraqis and others of unruly behavior.

US-backed Iraqi forces detained five Americans on June 3 in connection with an investigation into the stabbing death of a fellow contractor.

But the five were later released into US custody and Iraqi authorities said their case did not involve the killing of James Kitterman of Houston, who was found dead in his car in the Green Zone on May 22.

The separate allegations involving the Americans remain under Iraqi investigation and the court will decide if a trial is warranted, a US official said.

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"Under the terms of the bond, those released must remain in Iraq until further order of the court," the official said, also declining to be identified for the same reason. "Due to privacy considerations we cannot provide further details."

Separately, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Sunday that he was hopeful that three Americans detained in Iran after crossing the border from northern Iraq will be released soon.

Iranian border guards detained freelance journalist Shane Bauer and his companions Sara Shourd and Josh Fattal on July 31 while they were hiking near a waterfall on a mountain in Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region.

US and Kurdish officials say the Americans accidentally entered Iran through poorly marked border territory, but the Iranians have indicated they were looking into possible espionage charges.

Zebari, who met last week with the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, said he believed the case only involved allegations of illegal entry and he was optimistic the Americans would be released.

"We made an intervention on their behalf with the Iranian government to provide information and to release them," he said Sunday in a telephone interview. "I am hopeful, but I haven't received any formal confirmation."

The comments came as President Barack Obama's national security adviser James Jones said Iran has confirmed it has the three Americans in custody, the first official word on their detention.

The US State Department has dismissed the spying allegations.

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