IRAQ: US MILITARY PLAYS DOWN MILITARY SIGNIFICANCE OF FRIDAY'S BOMBING ATTACK IN BAGHDAD

Record ID: 646651

  • Title: IRAQ: US MILITARY PLAYS DOWN MILITARY SIGNIFICANCE OF FRIDAY'S BOMBING ATTACK IN BAGHDAD
  • Date: 21st November 2003
  • Summary: (EU) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 21, 2003)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE HALL 0.04 2. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRIG. GEN. MARK T. KIMMIT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF U.S. OPERATIONS IN IRAQ SAYING: "There were four donkeys with explosives today. Three had rockets on them, one donkey had been rigged as an explosive device. One was aimed at the Palestine, one was aimed at the oil ministry, one was aimed at the KDP headquarters, one was aimed at the university of law." 0.26 3. WIDE OF MEDIA 0.28 4. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRIG. GEN. MARK T. KIMMIT SAYING: "This is an adaptive enemy, we've said this all along. The enemy wants use any opportunity he can to get aroundour security and he is an inventive and ingenious enemy. But he has now shown us another one of his tactics and procedures and I'd guess he won't be using that again anytime soon. He will try something different. We'll continue to look at our intelligence and will continue to try and stay one step ahead of the enemy." 1.18 5. WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE 1.20 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRIG. GEN. MARK T. KIMMIT SAYING: "These were spectacular attacks. Clearly the enemy has been taking a look at our operations and realised that we are clamping down.They realised they can't attack us and defeat us in a conventional sense. What they are trying to do is break our will, they are trying to capture the headlines. But these attacks, with exception of the seriously injured civilian, have had frankly no tactical value and they are militarily insignificant." 7. WIDE OF THE CONFERENCE HALL Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th December 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVAEI6WYEQW6RMKB5NAM38NGCU6V
  • Story Text: U.S. military says Friday's attacks in Baghdad
    militarily insignificant.




    Deputy Director of U.S. operations in Iraq told
    reporters on Friday (November 21) that from the military
    point of view the rocket attacks against the Oil Ministry
    and two Baghdad hotels were "insignificant".

    "These attacks, with exception of the seriously injured
    civilian, have had frankly no tactical value and they are
    militarily insignificant," Brig. Gen. Mark T. Kimmit said.

    Iraqi guerrillas fired rockets from donkey carts on
    Friday at Iraq's Oil Ministry compound and two Baghdad
    hotels used by foreign contractors and journalists in an
    audacious act of defiance towards U.S.-led occupation.

    Iraqi police found a third cart loaded with 21 rockets
    near the Italian and Turkish embassies. A U.S. soldier said
    a fourth cart also carrying rockets had been found in the
    same area.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register