- Title: A heated exchange at State Department briefing
- Date: 16th November 2016
- Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 16, 2016) (STATE TV) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY HOLDING THE DAILY STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING JOURNALIST ASKING ABOUT SYRIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "So five hospitals and one mobile clinic. And, by all counts, looks like they were deliberately targeted, all in the span of the last day or so. It's also worth noting that despite Russian claims that it had halted airstrikes in the past month or so. (JOURNALIST: 28 days) Yeah, they've allowed no food or humanitarian assistance into east Aleppo and the regime in Russia have now let Aleppo's residents starve, all while seeking praise from the international community for halting indiscriminate strikes for three weeks. Again, five hospitals and at least one, maybe more, mobile clinic. That doesn't sound to me like a halt in indiscriminate attacks." JOURNALIST ASKING ABOUT SYRIA KIRBY LISTENING TO QUESTION: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "Don't you think it is important to give a specific list of hospitals that you're accusing Russia of hitting? Those are grave accusations." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "I'm not making those accusations. I'm telling you we've seen reports from credible aid organizations that five hospitals and a clinic, at least." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "Which hospital? In what cities, at least?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "You can go look at the information that many of the Syrian relief agencies are putting out there publicly. We're getting our information from them too. These reports." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "But you are citing those reports without giving any specifics." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "Because we believe these agencies are credible and because we have other sources of information that back up what we're seeing from some of these, from some of these reports. And you know what? Why don't you ask - here's a good question. Why don't you ask your defense ministry what they're doing?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "That's what I was - if you give a specific list." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "and see if you can get - no, no, no." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "If you give a specific list of hospitals." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "No, no, no." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "My colleagues who are listening would be able to go and ask Russian officials about a specific list of hospitals." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "You work for "Russia Today", right? Isn't that your agency?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "That is correct." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "And so why shouldn't you ask your government the same kinds of questions that you're standing here asking me? Ask them about their military activities. Get them to tell you what - or deny what they're doing." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER, GAYANE CHICHAKYAN, SAYING: "When I ask for specifics, it seems your response is, why are you here? Well, you are leveling that accusation." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "No, ma'am." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "If you give specifics, my colleagues would be able to ask Russian officials." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "Once again, you're just wrong. I'm not leveling those accusations. Relieve agencies that we find credible are leveling those accusations. So why don't you question them about their information and where they're getting it? Why don't you question your own defense ministry?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "Which organizations, then? Which ones." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "We will get you a list of them after the briefing. I don't have it right here in front of me, but I'm happy to provide to you some of the relief agencies that are telling us what they're seeing on the ground." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "Specifically on blocking aid within the 28 days that Russia and Syria had stopped the air strikes in Eastern Aleppo, when I understand they were resumed by the Syrian military yesterday, do you - can you give any specific information on when Russia or the Syrian government blocked the U.N. from delivering aid?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "There hasn't been any aid delivered in the last month." (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER SAYING: "And you believe it was blocked exclusively by Russia." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "There's no question in our mind that the obstruction is coming from the regime and from Russia. No question at all ma'am." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER MATT LEE SAYING: "Please be careful about saying, your defense minister and things like that. I mean, she's a journalist just like the rest of us are, so it's - she's asking pointed questions, but they're not." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "From a state-owned - from a state owned. From a state-owned outlet, Matt. From a state-owned outlet. It's not independent." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER MATT LEE SAYING: "The questions that she's asking are not out of line." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "I didn't say the questions were out of line. I didn't say the questions were out of line." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER MATT LEE SAYING: "All right. OK." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "But I'm not. I'm sorry. I'm not going to put "Russia Today" on the same level with the rest of you who are representing independent media outlets." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER MATT LEE SAYING: "But hold on. Look, there - well, we'll talk about - we can talk about this later offline, but the question is not an inappropriate question to ask." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYING: "I didn't say that it was. But I also think it should be asked of their own defense ministry, which they don't do. Which "Russia Today" doesn't do." RUSSIA TODAY REPORTER LEAVES BRIEFING
- Embargoed: 1st December 2016 20:36
- Keywords: Russian journalist argument Syria hospitals aid state channel Kirby
- Location: WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00158P4MKN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters during a briefing at the State Department, on Wednesday (November 16) that Russia and the Syrian regime have bombed five hospitals in Syria and at least one mobile clinic.
"They've allowed no food or humanitarian assistance into east Aleppo and the regime in Russia have now let Aleppo's residents starve, all while seeking praise from the international community for halting indiscriminate strikes for three weeks. Again, five hospitals and at least one, maybe more, mobile clinic. That doesn't sound to me like a halt in indiscriminate attacks," Kirby said.
Kirby was then pressed by different journalists on the location of the hospitals or to make the source of the hospital strike claims public.
"Don't you think it is important to give a specific list of hospitals that you're accusing Russia of hitting? Those are grave accusations," Russia Today reporter, Gayane Chichakyan, asked. "I'm not making those accusations. I'm telling you we've seen reports from credible aid organizations that five hospitals and a clinic, at least," Kirby responded. The reporter continued to press Kirby on a specific list of hospitals and that drew a heated response from Kirby.
"You work for "Russia Today, right? Isn't that your agency?" Kirby asked. "So why shouldn't you ask your government the same kinds of questions that you're standing here asking me? Ask them about their military activities. Get them to tell you what - or deny what they're doing," he said.
The two went back and forth, at one point an Associated Press (AP) reporter, Matt Lee, warned Kirby to "please be careful about saying, your defense minister and things like that. I mean, she's a journalist just like the rest of us are, so it's, she's asking pointed questions."
Kirby responded by saying that Russia Today is a state owned and funded outlet of news. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to put "Russia Today" on the same level with the rest of you who are representing independent media outlets," Kirby said.
The Russia Today reporter was later seen leaving the briefing before it had concluded. - Copyright Holder: STATE DEPARTMENT TV
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