IRAQ: GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBERS HOLD SILENCE FOR VICTIMS OF SUICIDE BOMB ATTACKS, U.S. PRESS CONFERENCE.

Record ID: 649159

  • Title: IRAQ: GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBERS HOLD SILENCE FOR VICTIMS OF SUICIDE BOMB ATTACKS, U.S. PRESS CONFERENCE.
  • Date: 4th March 2004
  • Summary: (EU) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 3, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV/PAN: DEPUTY CHIEF SPOKESMAN FOR U.S. FORCES, BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT AND CHIEF COALITION SPOKESMAN DAN SENOR ENTERING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE 0.08 2. JOURNALISTS 3. SOUNDBITE (English) BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT: "We will be here on July 1st the same way we have been here since last May, last March, and we don't see that date as a significant military date in terms of changing our tactics, techniques, procedures, nor our mission. We fully expect to be operating on July 15 the same way we're going to be operating on June 15th" 4. SOUNDBITE (English) DAN SENOR: "Yeah I would just add that Ambassador Bremer's portfolio will be handed over on June 30th. His portfolio is increasingly focused on the political process. On June 30th the Iraqis will take over for their own political process. The situation doesn't necessarily change on the military side and it doesn't change for much of the civilian reconstruction" 5. JOURNALISTS 1.01 6. LV/PAN: KIMMITT AND SENOR WALK OUT OF NEWS CONFERENCE 1.11 7. GV/MV/CU: VARIOUS OF HEAD OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL FOR ISLAMIC REVOLUTION AND GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER, ABDUL AZIZ AL-HAKIM (IN GREEN) RECEIVING PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO OFFER CONDOLENCES FOR TUESDAY'S ATTACKS (6 SHOTS) 1.52 8. GV/GV/PAN: GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND JOURNALISTS OBSERVE MINUTE OF SILENCE FOR THOSE KILLED IN TUESDAY'S BLASTS IN BAGHDAD AND KERBALA 2.09 9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) (AUDIO AS INCOMING) MOHAMMED BAHAR AL-ULOUM, CURRENT PRESIDENT OF GOVERNING COUNCIL: "We were hoping that we would have the signing ceremony of the interim constitution of Iraq but because of the three days of mourning we have postponed this event to Friday at 4 o'clock in the evening (13:00 GMT) here 10. JOURNALISTS 11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) (AUDIO AS INCOMING) AL-ULOUM: "The total number of martyrs in both cities (Baghdad and Kerbala) at midday today is 271 martyrs and 393 wounded" 12. JOURNALISTS 13. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA62QCXZX3M9GBU1N7ZAOOKRNKU
  • Story Text: Deputy Chief Spokesman for U.S forces in Baghdad,
    Mark Kimmit holds a news conference


    U.S. military says tactics will remain the same after June
    30th handover, Iraqi Governing Council says interim
    constitution will be signed on Friday.

    The U.S. military said on Wednesday (March 3) that its
    tactics would not change after June 30th despite the
    handover of political responsibility to the Iraqis.

    "We will be here on July 1st the same way we have been
    here since last May, last March, and we don't see that date
    as a significant military date in terms of changing our
    tactics, techniques, procedures, nor our mission",
    Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of
    operations for the U.S. military in Iraq, told a news
    conference.

    "Ambassador Bremer's portfolio will be handed over on
    June 30th. His portfolio is increasingly focused on the
    political process. On June 30th the Iraqis will take over
    for their own political process. The situation doesn't
    necessarily change on the military side", chief coalition
    spokesman Dan Senor told the same news conference.

    Their comments come after blasts tore through Shi'ite
    sites in Kerbala and Baghdad on Tuesday, killing and
    wounding hundreds of Iraqis and subsequent accusations from
    Shi'ite leaders that U.S. forces are not doing enough to
    protect people from attack.

    Head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution and
    Governing Council member, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, said on
    Tuesday evening the American bore responsibility for all
    attacks on the Iraqi people because they not only failed to
    protect them but also did not allow them to defend
    themselves effectively.

    Neither the U.S. military in charge of Baghdad nor the
    multinational force in Kerbala had deployed troops close to
    the areas where thousands of Shi'ites gathered to mark
    Ashura, before the bombs and mortars tore through the
    crowds. Instead the foreign forces left security at the sites
    in the hands of Iraqis.

    People flocked to Hakim's home on Wednesday to express
    their condolences for Tuesday's attacks.

    The Governing Council declared a three day mourning
    period and on Wednesday observed a minute of silence for
    the victims. A planned signing of an interim constitution agreed
    early on Monday (March 1) was postponed from Wednesday
    until Friday (March 5).

    "We were hoping that we would have the signing ceremony
    of the interim constitution of Iraq but because of the
    three days of mourning we have postponed this event to
    Friday at 4 o'clock in the evening (13:00 GMT) here
    (coalition convention centre)", current president of the
    Governing Council, Mohammed Bahar al-Uloum, told a news
    conference. The total number of victims from both
    attacks had risen to 271 with 393 wounded.



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