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NEWS RELEASE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894

April 28, 2003
Release Number: 03-04-194


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


BAGHDAD MEETING POOL 7

Further agency pool copy from Reuters correspondent Nadim
Ladki:
The first open session broke for lunch after about two hours about 1 p.m. local. After lunch there will be a second session closed to the media. Then a third, open, session and a news conference, which was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. local.
While there were some Kurds present in the hall, U.S. officials said the two main Kurdish political parties, PUK and KDP, were not officially represented. They believed this was due to "logistical problems". No further details were available.
Despite comments from SCIRI officials in London that their movement is not represented at the talks, two delegates who said they were from SCIRI spoke to Reuters in the hall. Reuters also spoke to a SCIRI official in Najaf who said a delegation was in Baghdad. In all there were about 250-260 people in the hall.
After Garner spoke, British junior government minister Mike O'Brien spoke. His comments echoed Garner's.
After that, Iraqi delegates began to make speeches.
Speaker after speaker stressed the need for security and restoring the infrastructure. All insisted that Iraq can be ruled only by Iraqis. Many speakers thanked the US and UK for ousting Saddam.
No one from SCIRI, the INC or official representatives of other major political parties spoke in the first open session.
Among speakers were:
Sheikh Hussein Sadr, dean of the Islamic Council in London, told the assembly: "The Iraqi people owe a lot to the United States and the United Kingdom...for deposing the dictator."
"Iraq cannot be ruled except by Iraqis."
Saadoun Dulaimi, a returned exile politician, said: "The lack of security threatens our new-born democracy. Security must be restored for this experience to survive."
A tribal leader from central Iraq who was not clearly identified but wore traditional robes and an Arab headdress
said: "Political activities should be suspended in the transitional period. We should concentrate on restoring the infrastructure...I warn you if we allow political activities for various parties now there will be a civil war."