• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

U.S. Condemns Assassination of Senior Kurdish Military Commander

(Boucher calls assassination "act of terror" by al-Qaeda-related
group) (380)
The United States condemns the assassination of senior Kurdish
military commander by a group connected to al-Qaeda network and
extends its "deepest condolences" to his family and colleagues,
according to State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher.
"We condemn this act of terror against senior Kurdish military
commander General Shawkat Hajji Mushir. Our deepest condolences go out
to his family and his colleagues in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan,"
said Boucher at the February 10 State Department regular briefing.
Boucher told reporters that Secretary of State Colin Powell has
concerns about Ansar al-Islam's activities and their connections to
the al-Qaeda. He said the United States will "continue to work with
our friends in the region to ensure that this network is dismantled."
Following is an excerpt from the February 10 State Department briefing
containing Boucher's comments on Mushir's assassination:
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: Last Friday, they claimed that some of the al-Qaida and the
Baghdad agent, they work together, they killed one of the Northern
Iraqi Kurdish prominent Kurdish leader. Do you have any reaction on
this subject?
MR. BOUCHER:  Let me see what I've got on that assassination here.  
I don't think I can extend the facts any for you. I can say that we've
worked closely with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan for many years.
We condemn this act of terror against senior Kurdish military
commander General Shawki Haji Mushir. Our deepest condolences go out
to his family and his colleagues in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
The Secretary and others of us have made clear our grave concern about
Ansar al-Islam's activities and their connections to the al-Qaida
terrorist network. We'll continue to work with our friends in the
region to ensure that this network is dismantled.
QUESTION: Several Iraqi Kurdish groups, they claim that the Baghdad --
some of the Baghdad Saddam's agent also worked with these groups. I
mean, do you confirm about the subject?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know that I could say anything in particular
about this specific killing. In terms of the links between Iraqi
intelligence and Ansar al-Islam, the Secretary discussed that in his
UN presentation last week.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)