I'm exporting an XML file from Oracle. It's a simple grid. I can open
it just fine with Internet Explorer. I have Office 2003 and I've got
the XML toolbox for Excel. I've tried to open the XML file with both
Word and Excel and both of them refuse to properly open the file.

Here's the file:

output.xml
<?xml version = "1.0" ?>
<?xml:stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="item_category.xsl"?>
<!DOCTYPE GRID [
  <!ELEMENT GRID (BANDS, COLUMNS, ROWS*)>
  <!ATTLIST GRID ExportVersion CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ELEMENT BANDS (BAND*)>
  <!ELEMENT BAND EMPTY>
  <!ATTLIST BAND Index CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST BAND Caption CDATA #IMPLIED>
  <!ELEMENT COLUMNS (COLUMN*)>
  <!ELEMENT COLUMN EMPTY>
  <!ATTLIST COLUMN Name CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST COLUMN Caption CDATA #IMPLIED>
  <!ATTLIST COLUMN Index CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST COLUMN BandIndex CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST COLUMN RowIndex CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST COLUMN ColIndex CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST COLUMN Width CDATA #IMPLIED>
  <!ELEMENT GROUP (GROUP*, ROW*)>
  <!ATTLIST GROUP GroupText CDATA #IMPLIED>
  <!ELEMENT ROWS (ROW*)>
  <!ELEMENT ROW EMPTY>
  <!ATTLIST ROW dbGridColumn4 CDATA #IMPLIED>
  <!ATTLIST ROW dbGridColumn5 CDATA #IMPLIED>
]>
<GRID ExportVersion="1.0">
  <BANDS>
    <BAND Index="0" Caption=""></BAND>
  </BANDS>
  <COLUMNS>
    <COLUMN Name="dbGridColumn4" Caption="ITEM_CAT_ID" Index="3"
BandIndex="0" RowIndex="0" ColIndex="0" Width="98"></COLUMN>
    <COLUMN Name="dbGridColumn5" Caption="ITEM_CAT_DESC" Index="4"
BandIndex="0" RowIndex="0" ColIndex="1" Width="168"></COLUMN>
  </COLUMNS>
  <ROWS>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="1" dbGridColumn5="FIRE ARM"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="2" dbGridColumn5="NON LEATHAL WEAPON"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="3" dbGridColumn5="FURNITURE"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="5" dbGridColumn5="ACCESSORIES"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="6" dbGridColumn5="COMPUTER"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="7" dbGridColumn5="AMMUNITION"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="8" dbGridColumn5="BADGE"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="9" dbGridColumn5="HAND CUFFS"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="10" dbGridColumn5="BATTON"></ROW>
    <ROW dbGridColumn4="11" dbGridColumn5="HAND RADIO"></ROW>
  </ROWS>
</GRID>

Word says there's a "bad character".

Any suggestions.

PS: Isn't XML supposed to behave according to "standards"?