- Title: IRAQ: UNITED STATES ADMINISTRATION SAY IT IS COMMITTED TO JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY
- Date: 9th May 2004
- Summary: (U6) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MAY 7, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. U.S. DEPUTY CHIEF OF U.S. OPERATIONS IN IRAQ BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT AND COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY (CPA) SPOKESMAN DAN SENOR ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE; JOURNALISTS 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) COALITION SPOKESMAN DAN SENOR, SAYING: "Justice will be pursued. This will be a very fair and transparent process to get to the bottom of this. Which is nothing like the way things operated in this country under the former regime. Under the former regime this sort of behaviour would have been celebrated. In this situation it will be punished, this situation is an exception not the rule. In the former regime it certainly was the rule, sadly." 3. PRESSER 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEPUTY CHIEF OF U.S. OPERATIONS IN IRAQ BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, SAYING: "We will have to demonstrate that justice will be served. That will have to not only be done but it will also have to be apparent it will have to be visible. We are committed to ensuring these proceedings, when they move to a court martial will be public, and will be publicised and there will be access to the media so that the media can show the people of Iraq exactly the type of justice system that America demonstrates for these types of activities." 5. REPORTERS 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENOR, SAYING: "We are outraged by what occurred and the President spoke to that quite clearly yesterday when he expressed an apology to the Iraqi people. Now I also think its important to keep in context the relationship that most Iraqis and I can't speak to this person because I don't know who it is but I think it is important to keep in context the relationship that most Iraqis have had with the American soldier and the interactions that most Iraqis have had with the American soldiers" 7. KIMMITT AND SENOR DEPART 2.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 24th May 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA9J9C3Y1HCKBB5AUTO14Z0FVD5
- Story Text: U.S. administration in Iraq says it is committed to
justice and democracy.
Just hours before US Secretary of Defence
Donald Rumsfeld was due to answer a congressional hearing
for Iraq prison abuse by US forces, the US administration
in Iraq said it was committed to justice and democracy.
In what appeared to be a direct response to accusations
by rebel Shi'ite leader Moqtada Sadr that the United States
was brutal and undemocratic in light of the abuse of Iraqi
detainees by US soldiers, the U.S. Military and Civil
authorities said they would open the court martial
proceedings of the accused to the public.
Coalition spokesman Dan Senor said in Baghdad on Friday
(May 7) the US-led administration in Iraq was determined to
prove the abuse of Iraqi POWs was an aberration which did
not reflect the reality of the U.S. mission in Iraq.
"Justice will be pursued. This will be a very fair and
transparent process to get to the bottom of this. Which is
nothing like the way things operated in this country under
the former regime. Under the former regime this sort of
behaviour would have been celebrated. In this situation it
will be punished, this situation is an exception not the
rule. The former regime it certainly was the rule, sadly,"
Senor said.
The Deputy Chief of U.S. operations in Iraq, Brigadier General
Mark Kimmitt acknowledged that the mistreatment of
the detainees had seriously damaged the coalition forces.
He said it would take a great effort on the part of the
United States to demonstrate that justice would be served
in Iraq.
"We will have to demonstrate that justice will be
served. That will have to not only be done but it will also
have to be apparent it will have to be visible. We are
committed to ensuring these proceedings, when they move to
a court martial will be public, and will be publicised and
will be access to the media so that the media can show the
people of Iraq exactly the type of system that America
demonstrates for these types of activities," he said.
Senor added that the United States was "outraged" by
the pictures that they had seen and repeated the US
President's apology on Thursday (May 6) for the abuse.
"We are outraged by what occurred and the President
spoke to that quite clearly yesterday and when he expressed
an apology to the Iraqi people. Now I also think its
important to keep in context the relationship that most
Iraqis and I can't speak to this person because I don't
know who it is but I think it is important to keep in
context the relationship that most Iraqis have had with the
American soldier and the interactions that most Iraqis have
had with the American soldiers," he said.
Less than two hours later, US Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld apologised to a congressional hearing for
the the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison and took responsibility
for what happened there.
Bush, seeking re-election in November, has stood by
Rumsfeld, despite calls for him to resign.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None