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..

[WVNan]

This madness will continue until we start striking the head of the snake. The mullahs need to start disappearing one by one in the night. Then things would change.

[prairiebreeze]

Possibly, but not the French. Never the French.

Prairie

[Steve_Seattle]

"John Scott says the Arab media is "playing it straight" - not assigning blame."

Well, it won't be long before the U.S. is blamed for not securing the U.N. building, as was the case with the museum.

[The Wizard]

It's time to start killing these bastards.

[Mo1]

Does her delegation including Senator Infoe?

I am guessing it is .. hoping it is, MSNBC is saying the pentegon says that the US Delegation is safe

MSNBC is reporting the President has been informed and is heading to his ranch to get more details

[dixie sass]

The United Nations building is the last place I thought that the Saddamites or Al Queada would strike at.

Particularly where so many of their people work. Ooops - forgot they believe in genocide over there. If they would pull a through search of the of Babylon, they might find Saddam there. He believed that once the city was restored he would be ruler of the world. I would bet that he is hiding there.

[Steve_Seattle]

"The mullahs need to start disappearing one by one in the night."

People disappearing in the night is one of the things we went over there to prevent.

[Peach]

Good. He's a great senator and I'd hate to think anything could happen to him over there.

[gnarledmaw]

If an Iraqi fells a UN building in the desert and a patriot wasnt there to hear it, should anyone give a damn?

[mhking]

Could this day possibly change the hearts and minds of a few UN workers?

Workers? Probably. Leadership? Not a chance.

[TomGuy]

A troubling, graphic video here from Baghdad (if you have Windows Media and can stream at 300k or 56k).

The truth about terrorism.

[Gunslingr3]

The Iraqis also know that Saddam was our best buddy for years and that we supported his dictatorial murderous regieme and that we helped him stay in power even as he abused, tortured and killed his own people.

That's an unreasonable characterization, and about as nonsensical as calling Stalin Churchill's 'best buddy'. Enemy of my enemy my friend. Iran was the bigger enemy at the time.

[r9etb]

MSNBC is reporting the President has been informed and is heading to his ranch to get more details

Interesting development. I guess it would be a bit callous for W to keep playing golf, but this gives the thing the air of a Really Big Deal.

I suppose there's an element of "showing proper respect for the UN," but I'm wondering if there's not more happening that we haven't been told, yet.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

It depends on their duty. Those who spend all day listening to Baghdad residents list the evildoer plots being hatched by the few (small %, 5000 is still a lot) remaining Saddam loyalists definitely can turn sour at the end of a day. MOST troops - stationed around the country - say they are welcomed by the Iraqis wherever they go. We have trained over 20,000 Iraqi police who patrol their own country now (and die at the hands of our mutual enemies) - and Iraqi engineers, merchants, teachers - grateful Iraqis are helping our troops rebuild most everywhere our troops are stationed.

When you know a neighborhood 'minder' could get you killed for criticizing Saddam all those years, 5 months is a very short time to reassure these longsuffering people.

[mhking]

but I'm wondering if there's not more happening that we haven't been told, yet.

DING!

[AmericanInTokyo]

One really wonders: what effect if any will this have on US policy, seeing as just nearly one-fifth of the United States Senate was narrowly missed and the President is rushing to his temporary command/control center in Texas??

Ramp it up and play dirty for keeps (head on pikes!), or cut our losses and beat a strategic retreat out of that Middle Eastern hell-hole (head for the hills!) ??

[Steve_Seattle]

"If an Iraqi fells a UN building in the desert and a patriot wasnt there to hear it, should anyone give a damn?"

Yes, we do need to give a damn. For the time being, we are responsible for what happens in Iraq, including security, so all breaches of security reflect poorly on us, whether that's fair or not. And every incident like this pushes back the recovery and pushes back the time when we'll be able to get out of there.

[Mo1]

Rescue teams look through the rubble of the United Nation headquarters in Baghdad after a car bomb explosion tore through the building on August 19, 2003. Witnesses said at least three people were killed and dozens wounded. (Suhaib Salem/Reuters)