But his interview with local reporters was cut short before he could say much more.

The local reporters asked why he couldn't do that every night.

At least five died, residents and a local reporter said.

None of the group paid the local reporter any attention.

After a few days of no news, however, a local reporter was assigned.

"I had a local reporter call me later and say they just didn't get it," he said.

"We should have done this a long time ago," he told local reporters recently.

But it was impossible to keep the local reporters off the subject.

"Peter, you should be able to see the activity around me," the local reporter said.

Ten minutes into his remarks to the news media, several local reporters began to leave the room - they had heard it all before.