Kimmitt calls on militants to join in bilateral ceasefire скачать в хорошем качестве

Kimmitt calls on militants to join in bilateral ceasefire

(10 Apr 2004) 1. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, US Army spokesman, enters briefing 2. Wide shot briefing 3. Journalists 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, US Army Spokesman: "Coalition forces are prepared to implement a ceasefire with enemy forces in Fallujah commencing at noon today (0800gmt). If the ceasefire holds, talks regarding the re-establishment of legitimate Iraqi authority in Fallujah will begin. This action is being taken with the expectation that enemy elements in Fallujah will also honour the ceasefire. Irrespective of the ceasefire, coalition forces will always retain the inherent right of self-defence." 5. Journalists 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, US Army Spokesman: (Q:"Does that mean the enemy has officially agreed to ceasefire, or that you''re hoping that they will?") "At this point its an aspiration. We''re hoping to use the venue of this press conference in follow-on discussions with some of the Arabic press to get that message to the enemy so they can join in the ceasefire." 7. Journalists 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, US Army Spokesman: "The very people that are going to be out there will be the representatives of the Iraqi people, will be the representatives of the people in Fallujah that want to see Iraqi policemen back in the police station, that want to see Iraqi civil Defence Corps members walking the streets of Fallujah, that want to see the Iraqi army walking the streets of Fallujah. Not terrorists, not extremists, not foreign fighters, not people that don''t represent your country, but people that wear on their shoulder the flag of Iraq, who answer to the people of Iraq and who are looking out for the nation of Iraq." 9. Journalists 10. Wide shot briefing 11 Kimmitt exiting presser STORYLINE: A US general on Saturday called on Sunni militants in Fallujah to join in a bilateral ceasefire to allow further negotiations between Iraqi leaders and representatives of the besieged city. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt told reporters in Baghdad that coalition forces were seeking a ''bilateral ceasefire on the battlefield'' to allow for discussions. "This is an aspiration," he said. He added that he was "hoping to get this message to the enemy through this press conference." Only low level shooting could be heard on Saturday in Fallujah, which has been besieged all week by US marines. US commanders in Fallujah said on Saturday they had no word that a ceasefire was in place yet. Kimmitt said the current violence was part of a campaign to reinstall an authoritarian government in Iraq, and that it was the action of a small minority attempting to "hold hostage the majority of Iraqi people". There was no immediate response from insurgents to Kimmitt''s call to join a bilateral ceasefire. The US marines called a unilateral halt in offensive operations on Friday, though they were still taking action to defend themselves. Meetings between Iraqi Governing Council members and a delegation of politicians, clerics and sheiks representing Fallujah was held during Friday''s halt in fighting. US officials did not take part in those meetings. Kimmitt''s call came after the council passed a unanimous decision calling for a ceasefire. Anger has been growing on the council over the US assault on Fallujah, a city of 200-thousand where more than 280 Iraqis and at least five Marines have been killed in heavy fighting. Sporadic gunfire continued during Friday''s halt, but Marines did not make forays into residential parts of the city. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...