Here's an update on this alleged incident - and at least it got a belated mention in an article in the Guardian last week. But it seems nobody outside Australia seems too interested in investigating it. Washington government press spokesman: "I think this is something that has been dealt with and discussed in Baghdad and here. Prime Minister Allawi himself has said there is nothing to these reports."

And here's another Iraq story that seems to have been kept out of the headlines pretty effectively. It's about some US troops who tried to stop torture of prisoners in Iraq, and who were ordered by their commanders to walk away - and there doesn't appear to be any doubt about the facts this time anyway: Ordered to Just Walk Away - from The Oregonian, August 7th, quoted by Paul McGeough in that other link I gave.