Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday denounced the alleged killings of Iraqi civilians by US forces and said he asked a ministerial committee to hold talks with US military to set ground rules for raids and detentions.

The move came in the wake of an investigation into allegations that US Marines killed unarmed civilians in the western city of Haditha.

Al-Maliki said he had ordered the "national security ministerial committee to follow up on this issue with the multinational forces" and "to hold talks with the multinational forces to formulate ground rules for detentions and raids."

When asked about Iraqi complaints that US forces show no regard for their lives during raids and detentions, al-Maliki said he objected to such practices.

"We cannot forgive violations of the dignity of the Iraqi people," he said during a press conference. He also said the Cabinet had agreed to issue a statement denouncing such practices.

The killings at Haditha, a city that has been plagued by insurgents, came after a bomb rocked a military convoy on Nov. 19, killing a Marine. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., a decorated war veteran who has been briefed by military officials, has said Marines shot and killed unarmed civilians in a taxi at the scene and went into two homes and shot others.

The US military says it constantly strives to avoid civilian casualties and has promised the deaths in Haditha, 140 miles northwest of Baghdad, will be fully investigated.

In his first public comments on the incident, President Bush said Wednesday that he was troubled by the allegations, and that, "If in fact laws were broken, there will be punishment."

More than 4,000 Iraqis, many of them civilians, have been killed in war-related violence this year, including at least 936 in May alone, according to an Associated Press count. That makes May the second deadliest month for Iraqis over the past year. Only March recorded more fatalities.

(Chinadaily.com via agencies June 2, 2006)