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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — The U.S. military on Sunday said it was looking into
how virtually identical quotations ended up in two of its news releases about
different insurgent attacks.
Following a car bombing in Baghdad on Sunday, the U.S. military issued a statement
with a quotation attributed to an unidentified Iraqi that was virtually identical
to a quote reacting to an attack on July 13.
After questioning by news media, the military released the statement without
the quotation.
Lt. Col. Clifford Kent, spokesman for the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division,
said use of the quote was an "administrative error." He said the military
was looking into the matter.
The car bomb killed 25 people and wounded 33 others near the al-Rashad police
station, Baghdad emergency police said. (Full story)
A statement about the attack by Task Force Baghdad 3rd Infantry Division contained
a three-sentence quote attributed to an unidentified Iraqi. The statement said
the Iraqi called the attackers "enemies of humanity" and vowed to
"take the fight to the terrorists."
The quote was virtually the same as a quote contained in a Task Force Baghdad
3rd Infantry Division statement released after a car bombing on July 13. That
attack killed several children.
The statement about the July 13 attack quoted an unidentified Iraqi saying
terrorists were attacking "the children." In Sunday's quote, an unidentified
Iraqi said terrorists were attacking "the ISF" (Iraqi Security Forces).
Following are the two quotes as provided by the U.S. military in news releases:
Sunday's news release said: "'The terrorists are attacking the
infrastructure, the ISF and all of Iraq. They are enemies of humanity without
religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I
will now take the fight to the terrorists,' said one Iraqi man who preferred
not to be identified."
The July 13 news release said: "'The terrorists are attacking
the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq,' said one Iraqi man who preferred
not to be identified. 'They are enemies of humanity without religion or any
sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the
fight to the terrorists.'"
CNN's Cal Perry and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.