And so it has begun:
MSNBC Breaking News
2 dead, 7 wounded in explosion in Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish TV says the blast occurred on a bus near a hospital. Earlier, an explosion outside a hotel in Ankara injured three people. It's the same hotel where President Bush is expected to stay during a visit to Turkey this weekend.
-- Iraqi sources tell CNN 78 people have died, 233 have been wounded in attacks throughout the country.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) The Iraqi Health Ministry says 69 people, including three Americans, have been killed in attacks Thursday.
Insurgents Launch Attacks Across Iraq
Coordinated attacks across Iraq killed at least 21 people. Three U.S. soldiers were killed in heavy fighting in Baquba and three explosions rocked the northern city of Mosul.
Dozens Killed As Insurgents Launch Attacks Across Iraq
Dozens of Iraqis were killed Thursday in a series of coordinated attacks across Sunni Muslim-dominated areas of Iraq. Early reports indicated three U.S. soldiers were killed in heavy fighting in Baquba, while explosions rocked the northern city of Mosul.
Keep eyes peeled for the hospital name...it was a residential neigborhood. There is reportedly a private British hospital in Istanbul that could have been the target.
Given the NATO gathering, one wonders if the timer on the hotel bomb was off or whether this is just a welcome mat.
More than likely all of you know that President Bush will go to Turkey this weekend.................
If the terrorists haven't blown it away by then.
I didn't hear where or why, the radio news said he was going.