Russian envoy brings back two Russian diplomats from Iraq to Syria

MOSCOW (AFP) Apr 08, 2003
Russia's ambassador to Baghdad went back into Iraq Tuesday and brought out two members of his staff who had allegedly been shot at by US forces in the country, diplomatic sources said in Moscow.

Ambassador Vladimir Titorenko drove back in from Syria, to where he had been evacuated Monday, to fetch an embassy driver wounded in the incident and a diplomat who stayed to look after the hospitalised victim.

Three diplomats were also among the wounded when their road convoy evacuating staff from Baghdad to Syria came under fire Sunday.

The ambassador and his two charges were met by Damascus embassy staff after they crossed back into Syria, the unidentified diplomatic sources in Moscow told Russian news agencies.

They arrived at Russia's embassy in the Syrian capital early Wednesday, a Russian diplomat posted in Syria told the ITAR-TASS news agency.

Titorenko, who first arrived Monday in Damascus with the diplomatic convoy, had earlier been expected to fly on to Moscow.

On Tuesday a plane landed in Moscow from Damascus carrying 12 people including the three diplomats wounded in the incident, Interfax reported.

Titorenko, himself slightly hurt in the shooting, alleged that US forces had deliberately opened fire on his convoy.

The United States scrambled Tuesday to prevent its ties with Russia from deteriorating further over the incident, offering high-level assurances that it took the matter extremely seriously and that a full investigation was underway.

According to eyewitness accounts, the convoy was caught in crossfire between US and Iraqi soldiers, although it was not clear which side shot first.

Titorenko told the ITAR-TASS news agency on Monday that the convoy had not deviated from the agreed time of departure and route, and that US forces had deliberately shot at the vehicles.

His account directly contradicted US suggestions that Iraq might have set up the attack by instructing the convoy's drivers to take a different route from that been agreed with US diplomats, in order to create an international incident.

The 12 Russian embassy staff who remained in Baghdad will not be evacuated from the besieged city for the time being, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov said Tuesday.

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