(29 Nov 2003)
1. US Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez entering press conference
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, US Army:
"During the past 14 days we have seen the daily average of engagements throughout the country decline by over 30 percent. The last time I talked to you our engagements were up above 35, we had had some days were we had gone as high as 50 engagements and over the last seven day period we were down to an average of 22 engagements per day. And this decline of course is most significant where we have taken the fight to the enemy and where we have been the most aggressive in our offensive operations."
3. Wide shot, briefing
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, US Army:
"Just in the past week operation Iron Hammer has netted over 180 enemy to include high-level Baath party officials and a number of detainees believed to have ties to the rocket attacks on the al-Rashid Hotel. It also includes a whole laundry list of ammunition and weapons that have been captured."
5. Wide shot, briefing
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, US Army:
"The Iraqi people have committed to this path, they are not going to allow the return of this repressive regime that has been ousted from power. And I think that is a strategic mistake that has been made by the enemy. All the indicators that we are getting is that the Iraqi people are in fact turning against these people that are out there committing these atrocities."
7. Wide shot, briefing
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, US Army:
"There is no pressure on me from a political leadership to decrease the number of forces that are in this country. Repeatedly, as has been stated by our leadership in Washington, if there is requirement for forces what I have to do as a commander on the ground is put that requirement on the table. I have stated repeatedly and I will state it here again - that as far as I'm concerned, as a commander on the ground, at this point in time I have no requirement for additional forces."
9. Wide shot, briefing
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, US Army:
"We do pick up some anti-coalition elements that are suspected of being al-Qaida and we have done that over time. Yet, at this point, we have not conclusively established an al-Qaida operative here in the country. We firmly believe there are links - both financial and training and ideological links - that are present, but we still haven't made that final connection."
11. Wide shot, briefing
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, US Army:
"No, I think what we have is former regime loyalists, as you stated, continue to be our number one threat in the country here in the country against the the people of Iraq. But I believe there is a linkage down at the tactical level at the execution level where in fact some support is being provided by the fundamentalists, by the foreign fighter, and those suicide bombers as we have clearly established by the ones that we injured and captured were foreigners."
13. Sanchez leaving press conference
STORYLINE:
The top US military official in Iraq said on Saturday that he was under no political pressure to reduce the number of soldiers in Iraq.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez told reporters at the Baghdad Convention Center that all the indicators suggested that Iraqi people were "turning against" the insurgents.
Sanchez also said that US forces had not yet conclusively established there were al-Qaida operatives in Iraq.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
