Iraqi forces are hiding arms and missiles in schools and hospitals, a US Defense Department spokeswoman said Friday."We continue to see the enemy putting military assets in and around schools, hospitals, mosques, homes, embassies, clearly hoping to blame any civilian deaths on coalition forces," the spokeswoman, Victoria Clarke, told a Pentagon news briefing.
"The regime we are ousting clearly would do just about anything to hold onto power and abuse its people," she said.
She said that in "literally dozens of classrooms coalition troops continue to find mortar rounds, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-personnel mines and anti-tank mines."
"As we near the end of the regime," said Clarke, "we have to remember and underscore repeatedly that the very toughest fighting could lie ahead.
"It's quite possible that what's left of the Iraqi regime will continue or even escalate their horrible tactics of using civilians as hostages and shields for their own protection," she said.
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