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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| U.S. General Nearly Faints at Podium | |
| 2004-04-17 | |
| BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq appeared to briefly lose consciousness during a news conference Saturday, bumping his face into a podium microphone. He left the room for a period but returned smiling and answered more questions. There was no immediate explanation for the apparent fainting spell suffered by Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, the deputy head of operations in Iraq, who delivers daily briefings to Baghdad-based journalists alongside the top U.S. coalition spokesman Dan Senor. Kimmitt had left the podium for a few minutes earlier in the press conference, which was broadcast live internationally. He returned, looking pale, to take more questions. Just after answering a question, Kimmitt leaned toward Senor and whispered, "I gotta go." Senor nodded and said, "OK," and then told reporters the next question would be the last. As he listened to the question, Kimmitt's eyes rolled upward and he began leaning forward into the podium. The podium's small black microphone struck him on the right side of the mouth. After a few seconds leaning against the microphone, he slumped backward but remained standing. Senor stepped toward him and said, "You all right?" "No, I'm not," Kimmitt mumbled. Two aides approached the podium and led him out a side door. Senor continued answering questions. About 15 minutes later, Kimmitt returned again and resumed answering questions. When one reporter prefaced a question by saying, "I hope you're feeling better," Kimmitt smiled but offered no explanation.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 Dehydration. Happens all the time to recruits in boot camp who dont drink enough water. He's under stress, in the heat, and on his feet too long. All he needed to do was lock his knees and over he went. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-04-17 8:42:48 PM |
| #8 The top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, appeared to briefly lose consciousness during a news conference. He left the room for a period but returned smiling and answered more questions. The military said Kimmitt was worn out from the flu. Link |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2004-04-17 7:54:29 PM |
| #7 I try to avoid dehydration and extreme stress when flying my plane. Rough on the insurance rates.... On a serious note, I magine General Kimmitt, like any good marine, has been putting his heart and soul into the mission. I hope that he takes better care of himself. The marines are doing the dirty work so we all can live peaceful and meaningful lives, if we choose to do so. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-04-17 5:43:44 PM |
| #6 Fainting spells are surprisingly common. The medical term is "neurally mediated vaso-vagal syncope". Which is a long winded way of saying the vagal nervous system can occassionally get the upper hand over heart rate and shut it down cold, leading to precipitous loss of blood pressure in the brain, and then fainting with a collapse to the ground. I don't think anyone fully understands why it happens--but dehydration and stress definitely appear to be associated with it. Full blown incident can look a lot like an epileptic seizure with some muscle jerking while the body goes through a reboot procedure to get the heart going again. Can be alarming to bystanders, but assuming you aren't operating machinery, it's generally harmless. |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-04-17 5:20:44 PM |
| #5 " Maybe being forced to fight a State Department war, is taking its toll. Foggy Bottom allowed the Mahdi Army exclusive patrol privileges in large sections of northern Baghdad"-- And you know this...how exactly? I'm no fan of the State Dept. but I'm not buying this. "and indulged al-Sadr when he made last year's trip to visit Iranian stringpullers like Rafsanjani. I might give you this one if it's true, but I don't see State as having any clout in CPA-administered Iraq. That would have been Bremer. If you want troop morale to collapse, then impose suicidal rules of engagement on them. Troop morale isn't collapsing, only poor, tired and hot Gen. Kimmit. The "suicidal rules of engagement" are, from the best that I can determine, there because we're trying not to alienate the 80%+ percent of the Iraqi population that like us and want a free Iraq by killing them along with the bad guys. |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-04-17 4:13:50 PM |
| #4 Maybe being forced to fight a State Department war, is taking its toll. Foggy Bottom allowed the Mahdi Army exclusive patrol privileges in large sections of northern Baghdad, and indulged al-Sadr when he made last year's trip to visit Iranian stringpullers like Rafsanjani. If you want troop morale to collapse, then impose suicidal rules of engagement on them. |
| Posted by: Man Bites Dog 2004-04-17 3:40:05 PM |
| #3 Maybe a little "Saddam's Revenge" from the water. |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-04-17 3:33:39 PM |
| #2 Probably listening to the same stupid questions and looking into the vacant faces of the same idiotic reporters, day after day after day.. That would do it for me. |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-04-17 3:29:09 PM |
| #1 Dehydration has done it to me before. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-04-17 3:13:09 PM |