Amnesty calls on Iraq to probe bloodshed

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LONDON, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Amnesty International called on the Iraqi government to conduct an impartial investigation into weekend violence that left at least 80 people dead.

A string of bombings and shootings across the country Sunday resulted in the deaths of more than 80 people.

Amnesty International said Tuesday that most of those killed were civilians.

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director of Middle East and North African affairs at Amnesty International, said the level of violence shows a disregard for humanity.

"The Iraqi authorities must ensure an immediate, thorough, impartial and transparent investigation is carried out and those responsible are brought to justice in proceedings that comply with the most rigorous internationally recognized standards for fair trial," she said in a statement.

Simon Collis, the British envoy to Iraq, said Tuesday that the country has improved by "leaps and bounds" since he left as British consul general in Basra seven years ago. While violence was a major concern, most Iraqis he said he spoke with didn't list security as a primary concern.

Internal political divisions in Iraq have widened since U.S. forces pulled out of the country in December. A senior Turkish diplomat told U.S. broadcaster PBS that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has consolidated his grip in Baghdad since then.

"Everyone sees it. He controls every lever of power," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity. "This is no democracy that the U.S. left behind."