IRAQ: THE IRAQI OPPOSITION ALLIANCE MEETING OPENS IN THE TOWN OF SALAHADDIN IN KURDISH CONTROLLED NORHTERN IRAQ
Record ID:
648720
IRAQ: THE IRAQI OPPOSITION ALLIANCE MEETING OPENS IN THE TOWN OF SALAHADDIN IN KURDISH CONTROLLED NORHTERN IRAQ
- Title: IRAQ: THE IRAQI OPPOSITION ALLIANCE MEETING OPENS IN THE TOWN OF SALAHADDIN IN KURDISH CONTROLLED NORHTERN IRAQ
- Date: 26th February 2003
- Summary: SALAHADDIN, 25 KM NORTH OF ARBIL, IRAQ (KURDISH CONTROLLED NORTHERN IRAQ) (FEBRUARY 26, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV VENUE FOR MEETING OF IRAQI OPPOSITION ALLIANCE/ CARS LEAVING COMPOUND 0.14 2. SLV HEAVILY ARMED UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC PROTECTION SOLDIERS NEAR WALL OF COMPOUND 0.21 3. SLV/SV U.S. SOLDIER ON GUARD INSIDE COMPOUND (2 SHOTS) 0.31 4. SLV U.S. SOLDIER PATROLLING CAR PARK INSIDE COMPOUND 0.38 5. SV MEDIA WAITING TO GET INSIDE VENUE, U.S. SOLDIERS GETTING READY TO CHECK JOURNALISTS AND THEIR EQUIPMENT 0.45 6. SLV OF SECURITY CHECKS DONE BY U.S. SOLDIERS 0.49 7. CLOSE-UP OF GUN CARRIED BY A U.S. SOLDIER 0.52 8. LV INTERIOR OF CONFERENCE HALL/ DELEGATES ENTERING 1.00 9. SLV/SV JALAL TALEBANI (CENTRE) LEADER OF IRAQ'S PUK (PATRIOTIC UNION OF KURDISTAN) KURDISH PARTY SEATED ALONGSIDE UNITED STATES ENVOY ZALMAY KHALILZAD (LEFT OF FRAME) (2 SHOTS) 1.09 10. LV OF LEADER OF IRAQ'S KDP (KURDISH DEMOCRATIC PARTY) MASSOOD BARZANI ADDRESSING GATHERING 1.14 11. SV DELEGATES SEATED IN HALL 1.19 12. LV U.S. ENVOY ZALMAY KHALILZAD AT PODIUM 1.27 13. MCU (English) U.S. ENVOY KHALILZAD SAYING "The United States has no desire, no desire to govern Iraq. The Iraqi people should govern their own affairs as soon as possible. The American interest is to see the weapons of mass destruction of the Saddam regime destroyed, that the terrorists are apprehended, that the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people are met, security is established and that the Iraqi people are free and empowered to build their own future." 2.02 14. SV U.S. ARMY OFFICER SEATED WITH DELEGATES IN HALL 2.07 15. MCU (English) PUK LEADER JALAL TALEBANI SAYING TO KHALIZAD "We are grateful to you and your president George Bush who sent you here. Will you be so kind to give him our regards and our gratitude and tell him that we will never forget those who are supporting us in the difficult days for achieving a free and democratic Iraq" 2.25 16. LV DELEGATES IN HALL 2.30 17. SV EXTERIOR/ DELEGATES LEAVING 2.37 18. LV/SV OF VENUE/ U.S. DIPLOMATIC PROTECTION SOLDIERS, ONE OF THEM LEAVING (2 SHOTS) 2.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th March 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ARBIL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVAEIBIR7IMGJ1SDHA351IJF4RRE
- Story Text: A meeting of the Iraqi opposition alliance has opened
for the first time on Iraqi soil with a pledge by the
alliances chief sponsor, the United States that Washington had
no desire to rule a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.
The Iraqi opposition alliance meeting opened in the
town of Salahaddin in Kurdish controlled northern Iraq, 25km
north of the administrative capital Arbil on Wednesday
(February 26, 2003), after a delay of more than five weeks.
The meeting had originally been scheduled for January 15.
It was the first such meeting by Iraq's various opposition
groups on to be held Iraqi soil. Security was tight ahead of
the opening of the two-day meeting. Some 20 heavily armed U.S.
soldiers patrolled the compound and carried out security
checks on journalists covering the meeting. It is well known
that some members of the United States special forces are
probably already operating inside northern Iraq, but today's
visible presence was the first such sighting of armed U.S.
soldiers inside Iraq, since the start of the current crisis.
Inside the conference hall, at a local administrative
building in the mountains around Salahaddin, delegates were
told that the United States had no intention of ruling Iraq.
"The United States has no desire, no desire to govern
Iraq. The Iraqi people should govern their own affairs as soon
as possible. The American interest is to see the weapons of
mass destruction of the Saddam regime destroyed, that the
terrorists are apprehended, that the humanitarian needs of the
Iraqi people are met, security is established and that the
Iraqi people are free and empowered to build their own
future," said Zalmay Khalizad, the U.S. envoy to the meeting.
Two of Iraq's prominent Kurdish leaders also addressed the
meeting, pledging to work for freedom and democracy in Iraq,
after what one of them said was "an expected change (of
regime)" in the country.
Kurds control three Iraqi governorates north of the U.S.-
and British-patrolled No Fly Zone in northern Iraq, and have
set up a de facto independent state there since 1991.
"After the expected change (of regime in Iraq), (the aim
would be) to establish the legitimate constitutional
institutions through free and democratic elections," said
Massood Barzani, leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP).
PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) leader Jalal Talebani
also echoed Barzani's wish for the establishment of democracy
in Iraq and thanked United States for its support.
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