MOSCOW (AFX) - The Russian ambassador
to Iraq has accused US forces of deliberately shooting
at his convoy as it was fleeing Iraq for Syria, the RIA
Novosti news agency reported.
The report, filed from the Iraqi-Syrian border, said
ambassador Vladimir Titorenko was lightly injured, with
his arm hurt in the attack.
"The Russian ambassador to Iraq Vladimir Titorenko
thinks that the column of Russian cars, filled with
diplomats and journalists, was deliberately attacked by
the Americans," RIA Novosti wrote.
Russian news reports had earlier said that the convoy
was carrying Russian flags as it was leaving Baghdad.
The state-run news agency said that four cars in the
convoy had been hit in the attack and that US M-16
bullet casings were found in the vehicles.
The report further accused US forces of trying to
stop the Russian convoy for inspections several times,
"but these attempts were thwarted by the Russian
diplomats."
US officials have so far refused to confirm that they
were responsible for the attack, arguing that the region
where the Russian convoy was hit was not yet controlled
by US troops.
In Moscow, US national security adviser Condoleezza
Rice held hastily-arranged talks Monday with Russian
foreign and defense officials after the five Russian
diplomats were hit.
A US official told Agence France-Presse that Rice had
"good discussions" with Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov,
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and the head of Russia's
security council Sergei Rushailo.
zak/bb/pb