IRAQ: U.S. MILITARY SAYS SECURITY WILL BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR MOST IRAQIS TO VOTE IN JANUARY ELECTIONS
Record ID:
647153
IRAQ: U.S. MILITARY SAYS SECURITY WILL BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR MOST IRAQIS TO VOTE IN JANUARY ELECTIONS
- Title: IRAQ: U.S. MILITARY SAYS SECURITY WILL BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR MOST IRAQIS TO VOTE IN JANUARY ELECTIONS
- Date: 28th November 2004
- Summary: (U2) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 28, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SV AIR FORCE BRIGADIER GENERAL ERV LESSEL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS IN IRAQ TALKING TO REPORTER 0.06 2. CLOSE UP OF AMERICAN FLAG 0.10 3. MCU (English) GENERAL LESSEL, SAYING: "We're on track with our campaign plan to pursue the terrorists and set the security conditions for the elections. We've had successes in Najaf. We've had successes in Tal Afar,Samarra, Thawra Sadr City and now in Falluja. And with each of these success both the Iraqi security forces and the multinational forces have set the conditions in all cities for positive outcome participation in elections." 0.39 4. CLOSE UP OF GENERAL LESSEL'S PROFILE 0.44 5. MCU (English), GENERAL LESSEL, SAYING: "By the time the elections come about at the end of January that the citizens of falluja will be able to participate, and I think that with the momentum that we have, continuing to keep the insurgents on the run, that we will have a good security environment by the end of January so that the majority of the citizens of Iraq can participate in free and fair elections." 1.06 6. CLOSE UP OF LESSEL'S HANDS 1.11 7. MCU (English), GENERAL LESSEL, SAYING: "Less than one hundred insurgents still left in the city. Primary focus right now continues to be on ensuring that every one in need is receiving the humanitarian assistance as it was the case right now. We are also concerned also about a measured approach for the return of citizens to Falluja so that we don't create another possible humanitarian crisis. If we do this in a measured and controlled fashion to help also ensure that insurgents don't come back into the city then we have the chance for a long term success for Falluja" 1.45 8. SV LESSEL GIVING INTERVIEW 1.55 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th December 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVAE9WP1HGP3TDN6HLQJ18IT83NW
- Story Text: U.S. military says security will be good enough for
most Iraqis to vote in January elections.
The U.S. military is confident security will
be good enough for Iraq to hold elections on Jan. 30 but
there will be insurgent attacks on the day and conditions
won't be perfect, a senior U.S. officer said Sunday.
"We're on track with our campaign plan to pursue the
terrorists and set the security conditions for the
elections," Air Force Brigadier General Erv Lessel, deputy
director of operations in Iraq, told Reuters in an
interview.
"We've had successes in Najaf. We've had successes in
Tal Afar,Samarra, Thawra Sadr City and now in Falluja. And
with each of these success both the Iraqi security forces
and the multinational forces have set the conditions in all
cities for positive outcome participation in elections."
He said that there would be security environment by the
end of January so that the Falluja citizens can participate
in free and fair elections.
"By the time the elections come about at the end of
January that the citizens of Falluja will be able to
participate, and I think that with the momentum that we
have, continuing to keep the insurgents on the run, that we
will have a good security environment by the end of January
so that the majority of the citizens of Iraq can
participate in free and fair elections," he said.
On Friday, 17 political groups, including several of
Iraq's leading Sunni Arab politicians and the two main Kurdish
parties, signed a petition urging the government to
postpone the elections for up to six months because of
persistent violence.
The Independent Electoral Commission and the government
have said they intend to go ahead with the vote as planned,
but the petitioners claim pressure is steadily building for
a delay.
They argue a postponement is necessary because the U.S.
offensive in Falluja provoked a surge in violence across
Sunni-dominated areas, making it impossible to carry out
voter registration and other activities in those areas.
The U.S. military has said it intends to take back all
rebellious areas before the end of the year so it can hand
responsibility over to Iraqi forces in time for the poll.
In many areas of the country that may be possible but
in cities such as Ramadi, Mosul, Baquba, Samarra, parts of
Baghdad and areas to the south of the capital, rebels still
have a strong presence and it is a race against time to
quell them.
Lessel said the U.S. military was gaining momentum in
its war against the insurgency, but he dismissed
suggestions that a delay to the elections might allow the
military to create even better security conditions ahead of
the poll.
One of the biggest obstacles that stood in the way of
the polls was Falluja, a city west of Baghdad where an
estimated 3,000 insurgents had established a base, taking
over hundreds of buildings and mosques and stockpiling them
with weapons.
"Less than 100 insurgents still left in the city," said
Lessel
He said that the prime concern now was to ensure the
delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people there and
to secure the city for the return of the people back into
the city.
" Primary focus right now continues to be on ensuring
that every one in need is receiving the humanitarian
assistance as it was the case right now. We are also
concerned also about a measured approach for the return of
citizens to Falluja so that we don't create another
possible humanitarian crisis. If we do this in a measured
and controlled fashion to help also ensure that insurgents
don't come back into the city then we have the chance for a
long term success for Falluja"
U.S. forces launched an offensive to retake the Sunni
city in early November and in 10 days of fierce fighting
retook it block by block, killing an estimated 2,000 rebels
in the process. A further 1,000 were detained, Lessel said.
The general said insurgents would try to reinfiltrate
Falluja in the weeks ahead, but he expected its residents
would still be able to vote freely in January. And he said
victory in Falluja had given U.S. forces the upper hand
against rebels.
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