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UN / IRAQ
STORY: UN / IRAQ
TRT: 1.04
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 16 JULY 2013, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN building
16 JULY 2013, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
2. Zoom in, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq:
“I am deeply concerned by the recent events in Iraq. I regret to report that the last four months have been amongst Iraq’s bloodiest in the last five years. Nearly three-thousand men, women and children have been killed and over seven thousand more injured. The perpetrators of this violence are taking advantage of two leading factors of instability in the country. These include the ongoing political stalemate and the Syrian crisis.”
5. Med shot, Iraqi delegate
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq:
“Iraq’s transition towards democracy and prosperity is at a crucial phase. The country can continue to make important strides in deepening the roots of democracy, pursuing reforms, embracing diversity, as well as improving its stature in the international community, or Iraq can go down on a dangerous path of political impasse and sectarian violence at each turn, leading to increased instability.”
7. Zoom out, Security Council
The top United Nations official in Iraq today (16 July) expressed deep concern for by the recent violence in Iraq.
Addressing the Security Council, Martin Kobler, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), reported that “the last four months have been amongst Iraq’s bloodiest in the last five years.”
Kobler said “nearly three-thousand men, women and children have been killed and over seven thousand more injured” and pointed out that “the perpetrators of this violence are taking advantage of two leading factors of instability in the country. These include the ongoing political stalemate and the Syrian crisis.”
Dozens of people were killed earlier this month and many others injured in a series of bomb attacks and shootings that seem to have concentrated around public places, such as a crowded market.
Kobler who will become Special Representative for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) at the end of the month was giving his final report on Iraq to the Council.
He told the Council that Iraq’s transition to democracy was at a “crucial phase” as it can “continue to make important strides in deepening the roots of democracy, pursuing reforms, embracing diversity, as well as improving its stature in the international community, or Iraq can go down on a dangerous path of political impasse and sectarian violence at each turn, leading to increased instability.”
This latest spate of violence comes amid what is considered one of the deadliest streaks on record for the Middle Eastern country, and a reversal in a trend that has seen violence ebb in recent years.
A total of 761 Iraqis were killed and another 1,771 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in June, UNAMI has reported.
Of those killed 685 were civilians, including 131 civilian police. An additional 76 members of the Iraqi Security Forces were also killed.
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