BAGHDAD, Oct 27 (AFP) - Iraq`s prime minister accused the US-led military of negligence in the massacre of 49 unarmed Iraqi soldiers, and Japan said Wednesday reports of a kidnapping would not drive their troops from Iraq.
"The Self-Defense Forces will not withdraw," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said.
The Islamic militant group of Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi released a video demanding Japan`s troops leave in 48 hours and showing a man who appeared to be Japanese.
He said, "Mr. Koizumi, they demand the Japanese government withdraw the Japanese Self-Defense Forces from Iraq or they will chop off my head."
"I`m sorry, but I want to come back to Japan," he said in the video.
Japanese officials said they were trying to confirm the hostage`s identity.
Japan`s 570 troops in Iraq is the first deployment since World War II.
Citizens of Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and other US allies have been kidnapped and beheaded, in an attempt to drive foreigners out of Iraq. US-led forces invaded Iraq 19 months ago, and have face increasing rebel resistance, using guerrilla and terror tactics, during the occupation.
More than 560 people have been killed and 1,200 wounded in 92 suicide attacks in Iraq in the four months to September, said Interior Minister Falah Naqib.
"Our forces are ill-equipped and poorly trained to tackle terrorism," Naqib told the National Council.
In the face of growing violence, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said he had asked the United Nations to send troops to help enforce security amid concerns about an Iraqi police shortage Warning of a surge in attacks in the run-up to Iraq`s elections, scheduled for January.
Allawi has pledged to restore stability to the country in time for general elections, but his efforts have been persistently undermined in a plague of attacks and kidnappings.
In one of the worst strikes against the country`s fledgling security forces, 49 army recruits and three drivers were shot dead on Saturday as they traveled home after completing a training course in eastern Iraq.
"I think it was because of gross negligence by some elements within the multinational forces," Allawi said about the ambush, without giving details.
"The killings represent the epitome of what could be done to hurt Iraq and the Iraqi people," he told the interim parliament, adding that a special investigation had been launched.
Accusations were flying about how the recruits had been left defenseless in a windswept desert plain, cut off from all communication, while there was also talk that the soldiers had been betrayed from within their ranks.
"We have information that men (some members of the security forces) get 500 dollars for carrying out one operation and that an additional bonus is paid if a policeman or national guard is killed in the attack," Interior Minister Naqib said.
Iraqi Vice President Roj Nouri Shawis demanded an investigation into the massacre.
"We must investigate why protection was not provided for those people," he told reporters.
Desperate to crush the insurgency, US and Iraqi forces have set their sights on wresting control of Fallujah from Iraq`s most-wanted man, Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, ahead of the elections.
A joint US-Iraqi force of about 1,000 has surrounded the city for almost two weeks as US warplanes have pounded suspected Zarqawi hideouts almost daily.
In the latest strike, the US military said it had bombed a rebel safe house, killing a Zarqawi aide.
Hospital sources reported no casualties, however, while witnesses said five empty houses had been targeted in the raid.
Allawi warned that the government had "concrete intelligence" that new militant foreign fighters have made their way recently into Fallujah to plan future attacks, while not ruling out a peaceful solution to the standoff.
Allawi also voiced concern over the many challenges Iraq must overcome to hold elections in January.
"We asked for help from the UN, and I personally asked (Secretary General) Kofi Annan to send international troops to help Iraqis," he told reporters.
On the ground, four car bombs ripped through Iraq`s main northern city of Mosul, two of which targeted US patrols, the US army said. Hospital sources said two Iraqis were wounded.
One policeman was killed and seven other people wounded in two roadside bombs in Baquba, where attackers also shot dead a member of Diyala provincial council as he drove past in a car. A guard was also killed.
Meanwhile, Jordan announced the release of one of its nationals who had been kidnapped in Iraq and threatened with death unless his family paid a 150,000-dollar ransom.
10/27/2004 01:37 GMT - AFP