USA: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL COMMENTS ON HOSTAGE TAKING IN IRAQ DURING MEETING WITH BULGARIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN WASHINGTON
Record ID:
223035
USA: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL COMMENTS ON HOSTAGE TAKING IN IRAQ DURING MEETING WITH BULGARIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN WASHINGTON
- Title: USA: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL COMMENTS ON HOSTAGE TAKING IN IRAQ DURING MEETING WITH BULGARIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN WASHINGTON
- Date: 22nd July 2004
- Summary: (U6)WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES (JULY 22, 2004)(POOL - ACCESS ALL) 1. U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL AND BULGARIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SOLOMON PASSY WALK OUT OF STATE DEPARTMENT TO MICROPHONE 0.10 2. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING, "What so impressed us is that in the face of this terrible tragedy, this kind of activity, this kidnapping, the Bulgarian people and the Bulgarian government have stood fast. They would not be intimidated by kidnappers, they would not be intimidated by terrorists, they would not walk away from the challenge they are helping us meet. I hope that this is an example to all of the nations in the world, especially the nations within the coalition, that this kind of activity cannot be found acceptable, cannot be negotiated with, and when you negotiate in this manner, all you do is encourage it." 0.52 3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) SOLOMON PASSY, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA SAYING, "In this case we of course had a choice. Bulgaria is a small nation of eight million people, and we had the choice to have two hostages or eight million and two hostages. We knew in this difficult choice that we accepted our principles and our values and we shall not open the door to anyone to blackmail our principles and values." 1.18 4. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA TAKING PICTURES, PAN TO POWELL SAYING, "I'm implying that it is a serious disappointment to us that the Philippines felt that it had to take this action because in effect the kidnappers were rewarded for kidnapping. They were paid off, they made a demand, a political demand against the Philippine government which the Philippine government, a sovereign government, decided that it had to meet and when you start meeting the demands of kidnappers I think you are going down a very sad and slippery slope which incentivizes kidnapping." 2.00 5. MEDIA MEMBERS ASKING QUESTIONS 2.05 6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) POWELL SAYING, "The initial reporting that I have received is very disturbing, as to the actions of the Janjawid and how the Janjawid were supported by the government of Sudan, and we are following the reports with great care, we're verifying them, we're listening to other agencies and I will present the final report I have to Secretary-General Annan this afternoon when I go to New York to meet with the Secretary-General, who will also talk about what kind of action the Security Council might take in the form of a resolution." 2.48 7. MEDIA MEMBERS 2.53 8. POWELL AND PASSY SHAKE HANDS AND WALK BACK IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT LOBBY 3.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th August 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WASHINGTON D.C.; USA
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA3AFA52YJND5NX65MWT6JUJRY7
- Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell comments on
hostage taking in Iraq during a meeting with the Bulgarian
Minister of Foreign Affairs in Washington D.C.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Thursday
(July 22) thanked Bulgaria's Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Solomon Passy for his nation's resolve not to give into
insurgents who kidnapped two Bulgarians in Iraq and may
have murdered both of them.
"They would not be intimidated by kidnappers, they would
not be intimidated by terrorists, they would not walk away
from the challenge they are helping us meet," Powell said
in a Washington, D.C. press conference.
"I hope that this is an example to all of the nations
in the world, especially the nations within the coalition,
that this kind of activity cannot be found acceptable,
cannot be negotiated with, and when you negotiate in this
manner, all you do is encourage it."
Comparing Bulgaria's decision not to withdraw to the
Philippine government's recent decision to meet the
kidnappers' demands, Powell also warned that the hostage
takers would never be satisfied.
"In effect the kidnappers were rewarded for kidnapping.
They were paid off, they made a demand, a political demand
against the Philippine government which the Philippine
government, a sovereign government decided that it had to
meet and when you start meeting the demands of kidnappers I
think you are going down a very sad and slippery slope
which incentivizes kidnapping."
The meeting comes the same day as a decapitated corpse
was found by police in northern Iraq Thursday and Bulgaria
said it was investigating whether the body was one of its
citizens seized by militants loyal to al Qaeda ally Abu
Musab al-Zarqawi.
The Foreign Ministry in Sofia said another headless body
found in the same area earlier this month had been
identified as that of 30-year-old Bulgarian truck driver
Georgi Lazov. Lazov and fellow Bulgarian Ivailo Kepov were
seized as they delivered cars to Mosul. Their captors sent
a video to Al Jazeera earlier this month showing the
execution of one of them.
After the press conference, Powell flew to New York
where he is scheduled to meet with United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan. The two will discuss recent reports
that Janjawid militants, whose violence has led to a
humanitarian crisis in Sudan, may be backed by the Sudanese
government.
"We are following the reports with great care, we're
verifying them, we're listening to other agencies and I
will present the final report I have to Secretary-General
Annan this afternoon when I go to New York to meet with the
Secretary-General, who will also talk about what kind of
action the Security Council might take in the form of a
resolution," said Powell.
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