Iraq's interim Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, has said that 'major neglect' by US-led forces led to the killing of 49 Iraqi army recruits by insurgents at the weekend.
Mr Allawi made the comment as the country's interim parliament debated how the incident took place.
He said the incident was the outcome of carelessness by some parts of the multinational forces, but did not explain.
A group led by the al-Qaeda ally, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has claimed responsibility for killing the recruits northeast of Baghdad.
The claim was made in a statement on a website often used by militants.
It is thought the men were ambushed while on their way home from a training camp. They were then forced to lie on the ground before being shot.
