REPLAY Minister tells militants to surrender, Iraqi troops near shrine скачать в хорошем качестве

REPLAY Minister tells militants to surrender, Iraqi troops near shrine

(24 Aug 2004) SHOTLIST 1. Iraqi Defence Minister Hazem Shaalan arrives at US Army base on the outskirts of Najaf 2. Group of soldiers 3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hazem Shaalan, Iraq Defence Minister: "Tonight, a large number of your forces, the Iraqi forces, will descend around the shrine awaiting orders to attack, or the elements (al-Sadr fighters) will give themselves up to the Iraqi forces, saving their lives and the lives of those who are with them." 4. Soldiers 5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hazem Shaalan, Iraq Defence Minister: "If he (Muqtada al-Sadr) gives himself up, this is a wonderful thing for him and for the future of the people tied to him. Surely if he gives himself up he will be safe and will earn great respect. But if he stays defiant there will be no choice for him but to either die or go to prison." 6. Shaalan talking to soldiers 7. Various of Najaf street scenes, including Imam Ali shrine 8. Iraqi sitting in chair, holding a radio 9. US vehicle in background STORYLINE: US and Iraqi forces battled militants in Najaf on Tuesday and Iraqi National Guardsmen advanced to within 200 metres (yards) of the holy city's Imam Ali shrine compound as Iraq's defence minister demanded the insurgents inside surrender. Addressing Iraqi National Guard troops in Najaf, Defence Minister Hazem Shaalan said Iraqi troops would head towards the shrine to await the signal for a raid or the surrender of the militants. Many militants have fled the Najaf shrine and the surrounding area over the last few days as nearly three weeks of fighting has intensified, witnesses said. US helicopter gunships and Bradley fighting vehicles were attacking militant positions in downtown Najaf, while militants returned fire with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. On Tuesday, Iraqi forces accompanied US troops into the Old City for the first time in recent days and were stationed about 200 metres (yards) from the shrine. Clashes between militants and the combined US and Iraqi forces sent the crackle of gunfire ringing through the streets as plumes of black smoke rose above the city. Shaalan said the Iraqi troops were working to cordon off the compound. Iraqi officials have said that any raid on the shrine would be conducted by Iraqi forces. The presence of US troops at the holy site would infuriate the nation's Shiite majority and could spark a far wider rebellion against the interim government. Shalaan said Iraqi troops in Najaf would use loudspeakers to broadcast a message urging the militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to evacuate the shrine. 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...