Women's funeral fuels anger over private security

Two Iraqi women shot dead by private US security guards were buried today as weeping mourners called for justice.

The Armenian Christians were killed yesterday at a Baghdad junction, the second civilian shooting involving heavily armed US security firms in less than a month.

Iraqi officials blamed the deaths of Marou Awanis and Geneva Jalalon on guards working for Unity Resources Group.

Unity, which provides protection for contractor RTI International, said an investigation was under way into the shootings but initial findings showed its team fired after the women’s car failed to stop despite warnings.

Witnesses and police said it appeared that Mrs Awanis, who was driving the car, was trying to stop when the shooting began.

Today relatives and friends gathered at the Virgin Mary Church in central Baghdad for the funeral.

Mrs Awanis’ three daughters cried as other women relatives wailed over the simple caskets, adorned only with a golden cross.

The Rev. Kivork Arshlian, the 57-year-old priest who has presided over the Armenian Orthodox church for 20 years, urged the government to punish those responsible despite the immunity that has generally been enjoyed by foreign security contractors in Iraq.

“This is a crime against humanity in general and against Iraqis in particular. Many other people were killed in a similar way,” he said. “We call upon the government to put an end to these killings.”

His comments reflected the growing anger among Iraqis against the private security companies – nearly all based in the US, Britain and other Western countries – as symbols of the lawlessness that has ravaged the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

“Today’s incident is part of a series of reckless actions by some security companies,” an Iraqi government spokesman said.

The deaths came a day after the Iraqi government demanded that the Blackwater security firm pay compensation and be banned from the country for shooting at least 17 civilians dead last month.