The Hindu : Russian Ambassador, diplomats wounded

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 07, 2003

International

International

Russian Ambassador, diplomats wounded

By Vladimir Radyuhin

A man identified as an Iraqi officer is detained by U.S. Marines, before being questioned by an intelligence officer, on the outskirts of Baghdad on Sunday. — AP

MOSCOW APRIL 6. The Russian Ambassador to Iraq and several diplomats were wounded on Sunday as they were evacuated from Baghdad by road to Syria.

The Ambassador, Vladimir Titorenko, as well as 22 Russian diplomats and TV reporters were in a convoy of embassy cars, which came under fire after leaving the Iraqi capital. Two diplomats received serious injuries and were being operated upon by Iraqi surgeons 40 km from Baghdad, the RIA Novosti news agency said. The convoy is expected to continue its journey to the Syrian border on Monday.

It was not immediately known who had opened fire on the convoy.

The Ambassadors of the United States and Iraq were called to the Russian Foreign Ministry and told "in tough terms'' to guarantee the Russian citizens' safety in Iraq, investigate the circumstances of the attack and punish those responsible, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Vershbow, admitted that the coalition forces had been informed about the evacuation plan and assured safe passage for the diplomatic convoy.

Russia was one of the few countries to have kept its Ambassador and 25 diplomats in Iraq after the war began.

Following their evacuation, the embassy will still have some technical personnel and security guards. Today's incident happened at a time when Russia was trying to ease tensions with the U.S. over the war.

The issue was raised with the U.S. National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice, who arrived in Moscow on Sunday for talks on Iraq with the Russian Foreign and Defence Ministers, the Interfax news agency said.

Ms. Rice is also expected to call on the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. The visit came a day after Mr. Putin discussed the Iraq crisis with the U.S. President, George W. Bush, on telephone.

The two leaders "stressed the importance of pursuing intense political dialogue between the two countries despite their known differences (on Iraq) in order to find solutions in the interests of the international community,'' the Kremlin press service said.

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