IRAQ: COALITION SPOKESMAN IN BAGHDAD MARK KIMMITT PRAISES WORK DONE BY SPANISH TROOPS AND REPORTS BORDER CLASH IN TNE NORTHEAST
Record ID:
648676
IRAQ: COALITION SPOKESMAN IN BAGHDAD MARK KIMMITT PRAISES WORK DONE BY SPANISH TROOPS AND REPORTS BORDER CLASH IN TNE NORTHEAST
- Title: IRAQ: COALITION SPOKESMAN IN BAGHDAD MARK KIMMITT PRAISES WORK DONE BY SPANISH TROOPS AND REPORTS BORDER CLASH IN TNE NORTHEAST
- Date: 25th March 2004
- Summary: (W4) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 15, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE U.S. ARMY IN IRAQ, ARRIVING FOR NEWS BRIEFING IN BAGHDAD/ MEDIA (2 SHOTS) 0.11 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE U.S. ARMY IN IRAQ, SAYING: "The Spanish down working in the multinational Division Central South are doing a wonderful job like all the other coalition forces here. They have had some tragedies over the past few month as most nations have, when their colleagues in the Spanish military were attacked on the road going down south of Baghdad. They, like all the coalition forces here, are conducting routine security operations, when necessary they are conducting cordon and search operations to kill or capture enemies of the Iraqi people and the coalition. We see them as a full partner in the coalition, we certainly see them as no different than all the other contributing nations as providing a significant presence here." 0.56 4. WIDE OF BRIEFING 0.59 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE U.S. ARMY IN IRAQ, SAYING: "Last night at about 23:30 hours, we had received report from the 4th Infantry division that one of their patrol in northeastern portion of the country, one conducting routine border operations was in fact shot and fired upon by what is believed to be personnel wearing uniforms resembling those worn by Iraq...Iranian border guards. Once being fired upon, the soldiers took self-defence measures, returned fire, soon after that broke contact and as you might imagine, now, trying to ascertain what exactly happened at that scene, and I know that both the military and the diplomatic side of the house are working on this, and we don't see this as revolutionary nor do we see this as a major incident." (2 SHOTS) 1.54 6. PRESS AT BRIEFING 1.59 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th April 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA51Z4EMQU715MH245Z6U5E2HFS
- Story Text: Coalition spokesman in Baghdad praises Spanish
troops, reports border clashes in northeast.
U.S. Deputy Chief of operation Mark Kimmit said on
Monday (March 15) that the Spanish troops are contributing
to the coalition efforts in Iraq like all other forces.
"The Spanish down working in the multinational Division
Central South are doing a wonderful job like all the other
coalition forces here. They have had some tragedies over
the past few month as most nations have, when their
colleagues in the Spanish military were attacked on the
road going down south of Baghdad. They, like all the
coalition forces here, are conducting routine security
operations, when necessary they are conducting cordon and
search operations to kill or capture enemies of the Iraqi
people and the coalition. We see them as a full partner in
the coalition, we certainly see them as no different than
all the other contributing nations as providing a
significant presence here," Kimmitt said.
Kimmit was commenting on Spain's opposition
Socialists' vows on Monday to make good on a campaign
promise to pull troops out of Iraq
In a setback to U.S. President George Bush's efforts to
maintain international support for his Iraq campaign,
Spain's prime minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
repeated his determination to get Spain's 1,300 troops
home. Zapatero's election upset was sparked by anger over the Popular
Party (PP) government's handling of a suspected
al Qaeda attack on Madrid commuter trains that killed 200
people last Thursday.
The Socialist leader, a center-left moderate who had
criticized outgoing premier Jose Maria Aznar's unswerving
support for U.S. foreign policy and the war in Iraq, called
the Iraqi war a disaster.
He told a Spanish radio station no decision on troops in
the U.S.-led force in Iraq would be taken until he was in
power and without wide political consultation. "But the
Spanish troops in Iraq will come home," he added in his
first post-election interview with Cadena SER radio. The
Socialists' surprise win sparked wild rejoicing among their
supporters after eight years out of power.
Kimmitt also reported border clashes in the
northeastern parts of the country.
"Last night at about 23:30 hours, we had received report
from the 4th Infantry division that one of their patrol in
northeastern portion of the country, one conducting routine
border operations was in fact shot and fired upon by what
is believed to be personnel wearing uniforms resembling
those worn by Iraq...Iranian border guards. Once being
fired upon, the soldiers took self-defence measures,
returned fire, soon after that broke contact and as you
might imagine, now, trying to ascertain what exactly
happened at that scene, and I know that both the military
and the diplomatic side of the house are working on this,
and we don't see this as revolutionary nor do we see this
as a major incident."
ends
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