The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 03-04-04

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Weather forecast

(4/4/2003 11:45:00 рм)

[02] American troops storm Baghdad airport

Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division fought their way into the airport after a heavy bombardment overnight but were continuing to exchange gunfire and artillery fire with the Iraqis on Friday morning.

The Iraqis are still in control of the approach road and appear to be piling reinforcements into the area, reports say.

Power and water supplies have been cut in the Iraqi capital, which was hit by another night of heavy bombing.

According to the American forces 320 soldiers were killed during the airport battle, while the Iraqis reported that 80 civilians were killed and 120 injured last night, when an American missile hit the village of Furat near the airport.

At the same time, the American forces have surrounded the town of Nasiriya, where battles are still taking place, while according to the Americans they entered the cetre of Najaf.

Battles are also taking place in Basra, which according to the Iraqis still remains under their control.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party Masud Barzani stated that if the Kurds had been allowed to play a biggest role in the battlefields, then the operations against the Iraqis would have been more effective.

At the same time, the religious leader of the Iraqi Shia Muslims Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani has called on civilians to resist to the invaders.

More battles took place in Northern Iraq, where according to Kurdish sources Kurdish fighters and American troops attacked Iraqi troops that were retreating from Mosul.

On a relative development, the American President George W. Bush stated that the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's days were numbered, while an Iraqi army representative stated that the strong defence of Baghdad would devour the invaders.

In the meantime, the American Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reiterated his accusations against Syria according to which Syria is offering military aid to Iraq.

Moreover, the American Congress approved $80 billion for financing the war against Iraq.

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, has said that the United States erred in going to war with Iraq "morally, politically and strategically".

Mr Raffarin stressed that France was not anti-American but said the friendship allowed for frankness.

He was speaking on the eve of Friday's summit in Paris of the foreign ministers of France, Russia and Germany - the three countries most vocal in their opposition to the war

Mr Raffarin also said that the USA was mistaken if it thought that it would govern the whole world.

(4/4/2003 11:46:00 рм)

[03] Greece wishes leading UN role for post war Iraq

The Greek Defence Minister Giannos Papantoniou made a similar statement for the UN's role in post war Iraq.

Finally, the Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanof stated that the UN's role should be upgraded.

(4/4/2003 11:51:00 рм)

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