HUGE Explosion, UN Building, Baghdad (All US Senators safe)

ABC Radio, WLS-AM, Chicago ^ | 08/19/03 | GRRRRR

[GRRRRR]

WLS-AM & ABC News, just A LARGE explosion just reported at the UN Building in Baghdad...perhaps 500lb bomb or more..

[Thane_Banquo]

UN building. Work accident?

We all know what side they're on.

[Dog]

Who is Demello???

[boxerblues]

150 in that building at the time,3 dead. praying your son is safe

[Peach]

I'd just as soon kill the terrorists too. Although capturing the pigs sometimes garners valuable new intel information.

[Dog]

His name is Demello??

[Catspaw]

Sergio Demello is, I think, the UN rep to Iraq. And he's been badly hurt.

[dennisw]

Because there is only one nest. It is called militant Islam..............



Mecca Medina Qom are it's nerve centers. The snake has three heads.

[MissAmericanPie]

You just don't understand, all borders must be wide open world wide. If you close one border it makes a good reasonable case for closing other borders, can't have that.

[rintense]

As much as I hate militant Islam, and as much as I'd like to see it all wiped off the face of the earth, we simply can't go and attack everyone at the same time. We have to pick our battles wisely. And if that means tracking down the wasp and following it back to its nest, then do it. It's what we did in Afghanistan. It's what we did in Iraq. Now, who will the next wasp be?

[Dog]

Fox: Demello is badly injured..

[Peach]

He is the UN Iraq representative and is said to be badly injured.

[Dog]

This was the hotel the weapons inspectors used..

[mhking]

You almost want to wish that Scott Ritter was "on scene".

[boxerblues]

ABC radio full corner is in rubble, car windows in area are blown out.. place is hard to guard

[rintense]

You're right! How silly of me to be so short sighted. ;)

[Peach]

Very difficult times for those with family posted over there. Our troops and their families are in my daily prayers.

[Brian S]

From Sky News:

CAR BOMB AT BAGHDAD UN HQ

A huge car bomb at the UN headquarters in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has killed at least three people and left scores more wounded.

The vehicle rolled up to the front of the building before detonating.

The US military said "scores of people" had been injured while residents up to one mile away from the building had their windows shattered by the explosion.

Early reports said one of those injured was the UN's head of oil for food programme in the country.

Another high profile casualty was the UN's representative in Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello, said to be seriously hurt..

US Blackhawk helicopters were soon circling around the building, wading through the thick wads of smoke climbing hundreds of feet into the air.

A US military spokeswoman said: "We can confirm there was a car bombing at the Canal Hotel at 4.30pm (12.30pm GMT)."

Sky News' correspondent in Baghdad David Chater said local people would have been working in the building.

He suggested that any attack on the building would be an attempt to "isolate those working for the Coalition forces".

But he pointed out the UN building has "nothing to do with the Coalition or the invasion of Iraq".

Rescue workers were immediately trawling through the mounds of rubble from the blast in a desperate search for casualties.

Hundreds of UN staff work in the building, the former Canal hotel, and a huge column of smoke could be seen rising from the site.

It had been home to UN inspectors called to scour Iraq for weapons of mass destruction in the country before the Coalition's invasion of the country.

More to follow...

Last Updated: 14:29 UK, Tuesday August 19, 2003

[1Old Pro]

As long as nobody is injured I'm not disappointed that the U.N. bld is gone