• Military

• WMD Menu                           

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

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=1/11/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-244044
TITLE=U-S / IRAQ (L)
BYLINE=KYLE KING
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE CREDIBLE REPORTS THAT THE 
INCREASINGLY ISOLATED IRAQI GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT SADDAM 
HUSSEIN HAS KILLED NEARLY 500 MILITARY OFFICERS AND CIVILIAN 
OPPONENTS IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS.  FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT, 
V-O-A'S KYLE KING REPORTS. 
TEXT:   THE REPORTS OF SUMMARY EXECUTIONS AT IRAQI PRISONS AND 
MILITARY GARRISONS COME MAINLY FROM UNIDENTIFIED IRAQI OPPOSITION
SOURCES.  BUT STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JAMES RUBIN SAYS THE 
ACCOUNTS ARE CREDIBLE BECAUSE THEY ARE FROM MULTIPLE INDEPENDENT 
SOURCES AND OVERLAP IN MANY SIGNIFICANT DETAILS.  
MR. RUBIN DESCRIBED SEVERAL RECENT INCIDENTS BETWEEN DECEMBER 
13TH AND DECEMBER 19TH, IN WHICH HE SAID MORE THAN 25 OFFICERS 
WERE EXECUTED. 
                        // RUBIN ACT //  
         ON DECEMBER 13TH, 18 OFFICERS WERE REPORTEDLY EXECUTED 
         AT ABU GHAREIB PRISON, FOUR FOR PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE 
         SADDAM HUSSEIN.  ON DECEMBER 18TH AT LEAST FIVE 
         OFFICERS, INCLUDING TWO GENERALS, WERE REPORTEDLY 
         EXECUTED FOR ATTEMPTING A MUTINY AT THE AL RASHID 
         MILITARY BASE OUTSIDE BAGHDAD.  ON DECEMBER 19TH TWO 
         LIEUTENANT COLONELS WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN EXECUTED ON 
         UNSPECIFIED CHARGES, AT A MILITARY BASE OUTSIDE BAGHDAD.
                         // END ACT // 
U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY ALSO HAVE REPORTS THAT LEAST 63 POLITICAL 
PRISONERS WERE KILLED AT A PRISON OUTSIDE BAGHDAD ON DECEMBER 
13TH.  IN ALL, OFFICIALS SAY THEY BELIEVE NEARLY 500 PEOPLE HAVE 
BEEN KILLED BY THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS. 
IRAQI OFFICIALS HAD NO IMMEDIATE COMMENT ON THE REPORTS. 
MEANWHILE, SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT HAS ANNOUNCED 
SHE WILL TRAVEL TO EGYPT AND SAUDI ARABIA LATER THIS MONTH FOR 
TALKS EXPECTED TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ. HER SPOKESMAN 
SAYS SHE WILL USE THE TRIP TO EXPLORE WAYS TO IMPROVE 
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ, WHILE AT THE SAME 
TIME DENYING ANY REVENUE TO THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT. 
                      // REST OPTIONAL // 
SHE IS EXPECTED TO SPEND TWO DAYS IN THE REGION FOLLOWING HER 
PLANNED TRIP TO MOSCOW WHICH ENDS JANUARY 27TH. 
TENSIONS BETWEEN IRAQ AND SOME OF ITS ARAB NEIGHBORS HAVE 
INCREASED IN RECENT DAYS. OFFICIALS IN KUWAIT HAVE PLACED THE 
MILITARY ON HEIGHTENED ALERT FOLLOWING RECENT IRAQI CALLS FOR 
KUWAIT AND SAUDI ARABIA TO PAY FOR DAMAGED CAUSED BY U-S AND 
BRITISH BOMBING LAST MONTH. 
STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JAMES RUBIN SAYS THE WAR OF WORDS IN 
THE REGION IS ANOTHER SIGN OF IRAQI ISOLATION.  HE AGAIN SAID THE
UNITED STATES WOULD WELCOME A NEW GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ. 
                        // RUBIN ACT // 
         WE WOULD WELCOME A NEW GOVERNMENT, COMMITTED TO LIVING 
         IN PEACE.  WE WOULD WORK WITH SUCH A GOVERNMENT TO LIFT 
         SANCTIONS AND RELIEVE ITS DEBT BURDEN IF THAT WERE TO 
         OCCUR. 
                         // END ACT // 
THE STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN ALSO WELCOMED THE RECENT MEETING 
BETWEEN KURDISH REBEL LEADERS IN NORTHERN IRAQ ON FRIDAY, SAYING 
THE STEPS THAT WERE AGREED TO WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE FORMER 
RIVAL GROUPS TO COORDINATE THEIR ACTIVITIES AND FINANCES.  
(SIGNED)
NEB/KBK/ENE/PT
11-Jan-99 4:36 PM EST (2136 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.