KUWAIT: BRITISH DEFENCE SECRETARY GEOFF HOON MEETS BRITISH TROOPS ON FIRST LEG OF TOUR
Record ID:
222924
KUWAIT: BRITISH DEFENCE SECRETARY GEOFF HOON MEETS BRITISH TROOPS ON FIRST LEG OF TOUR
- Title: KUWAIT: BRITISH DEFENCE SECRETARY GEOFF HOON MEETS BRITISH TROOPS ON FIRST LEG OF TOUR
- Date: 25th February 2003
- Summary: (EU) CAMP GIBRALTAR, NORTH-WEST KUWAIT (FEBRUARY 24, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV BRITISH TROOPS MOVING IN DESERT CAMP; MV BRITISH TROOPS WITH WEAPONS; MV BRITISH MARINE LYING ON GROUND WITH WEAPON; SLV BRITISH TROOPS ON MILITARY VEHICLES; MV TROOPS (8 SHOTS) 0.47 2. SOUNDBITE (English) SERGEANT STEVEN MORAN FROM GLASGOW: "At the moment I've been here for about three weeks. Obviously we're waiting for further orders to see if anything's going to happen, entering Iraq. But at present we're just waiting, doing a lot of desert training - low level and high level training. At present we're just waiting" 1.07 3. SOUNDBITE (English) MARINE MALCOLM PERRETT FROM WILTSHIRE "At the moment we're ready so we're just biding time at the moment. So we've been out here just over three weeks now, coming up to a month. Obviously a lot of the training took place back at home (UK). It's just acclimatising now, just waiting for the go, sort of thing" 1.24 4. MV BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE GEOFF HOON WALKING UP TO TROOPS; MV HOON GREETING TROOPS, TALKING TO THEM, EXAMINING WEAPONS; MV HOON GETTING INTO CAR/ SLV CAR DRIVES OFF (7 SHOTS) 2.36 (W3) KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT (FEBRUARY 24, 2003) (REUTERS) 5. MV BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE GEOFF HOON ENTERS FOR NEWS CONFERENCE/ SITS DOWN; MV JOURNALISTS 0.44 6. SOUNDBITE (English) HOON SAYING "There is still time for this situation to be resolved peacefully, through the United Nations, and we all fervently hope that will be the case. But what is now abundantly clear is that the choice of what happens next rests in Baghdad, with Saddam Hussein" 3.02 7. SLV JOURNALISTS 3.07 8. SOUNDBITE (English) HOON (ANSWERING QUESTION ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SADDAM COMPLIED WITH BLIX'S FRIDAY MARCH 1ST DEADLINE) SAYING "Well it would certainly be a start and we would welcome any effort by Saddam Hussein to show that he is complying with the will of the international community, but as I mentioned we're not just concerned with the means of delivery, we're also concerned about the very substantial stockpile of chemical and biological weapons that we know Saddam has available. So although that would be a start it would not be all we would expect to see Saddam Hussein do in order to comply with the will of the international community" 3.44 9. SLV JOURNALISTS; MV HOON WALKS OUT 3.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 12th March 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CAMP GIBRALTAR, KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT
- Country: Kuwait
- Reuters ID: LVA8IO2LREEEN83N7Y03DMQ83RKF
- Story Text: British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has met British
troops training in the Kuwaiti desert on the first leg of a
tour of the region aimed at promoting support for British
policy on Iraq.
British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon on Monday
(February 24, 2003) visited British troops in Camp Gibraltar close
to the border with Iraq.
The camp is currently home to about 2000 marines and
commandos from the 29th Commando regiment, part of a 4000-man
unit currently in the Gulf region.
Britain has committed 42,000 soldiers, sailors and Air
Force personnel to the Gulf, roughly the same number of troops
it sent at the peak of the 1991 Gulf War. Most are still only
just arriving in the region. The troops have until now have
kept a lower media profile than their American counterparts.
"We're waiting for further orders to see if anything's
going to happen", said Sergeant Steven Moran from Glasgow.
"Entering Iraq. But at present we're just waiting, doing a lot
of desert training - low level and high level training"
"At the moment we're ready so we're just biding time at the
moment" said Marine Malcolm Perrett from Wiltshire. "We've
been out here just over three weeks now, coming up to a month.
Obviously a lot of the training took place back at home (UK).
It's just acclimatising now, just waiting for the go". Hoon
talked to the troops and examined weapons.
Earlier Hoon said a second U.N. Security Council resolution
on Iraq was politically important but not legally essential
before possible military action.
Britain and the United States are preparing to offer a draft
resolution this week, but face crucial opposition from France,
which holds a veto on the council and favours more time for
inspections.
Britain and the United States are preparing to offer a
draft resolution this week, but face crucial opposition from
France, which holds a veto on the council and favours more
time for inspections.
"There is still time for this situation to be resolved
peacefully, through the United Nations, and we all fervently
hope that will be the case. But what is now abundantly clear
is that the choice of what happens next rests in Baghdad, with
Saddam Hussein," Hoon told a press conference in Kuwait City.
The British government has scheduled a debate in
parliament on Wednesday (February 27) on its policy toward
Iraq, and a number of lawmakers from the governing Labour
Party are likely to dissent.
On Saddam's possible compliance with chief weapons
inspector and Blix's latest deadline on March 1st, Hoon said
it would be a welcome start, but not all they would expect to
see in order to comply with the international community.
Britain has committed 42,000 soldiers, sailors and Air
Force personnel to the Gulf, roughly the same number of troops
it sent at the peak of the 1991 Gulf War. Most are still only
just arriving in the region. Later on Monday Hoon will visit
troops, who until now have kept a lower media profile than
their American counterparts.
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