U.S. Lawmakers Unscathed in Baghdad Blast (5 Reps near rocket attack)

[Barrett808]

U.S. Lawmakers Unscathed in Baghdad Blast
By DENNIS GALE, Associated Press Writer

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A rocket exploded near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad while five members of the U.S. House were in the facility Sunday, a member of the delegation said.

"Yes, we were there" when the blast occurred, Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., said in a telephone interview from Amman, Jordan. "We were in the basement. And the rocket that was launched into the embassy complex was about 500 meters from where we were."

The lawmakers, who were not injured, were not aware of the blast until later, she said. It was not clear if anyone outside was hit. Another rocket in the embassy complex apparently did not go off, so U.S. forces did a controlled detonation, Herseth said.

Others in the visiting delegation are Democratic Rep. Mark Udall of Colorado and Republican Reps. Tom Osborne of Nebraska, Ernest Istook of Oklahoma and Scott Garrett of New Jersey.

Herseth said the military provided armed security for the delegation.

"You know that you're in a combat zone. I think you just sort of adjust your perspective to be vigilant," she said.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040926/ap_on_go_co/iraq_house_members&cid=512&ncid=1480

[readmylips]

1. Too bad!

I don't cry for you republicans. Jesus, God, Mother Nature and Allah is really chasing down republican asses. Little georgie is not spending enough time on his knees..praying to his God the Green Dollar.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

15. Um...

... Stephanie Herseth is the democrat House Representative from South Dakota, who won her seat in a special election this June for the seat William (cough cough) Janklow gave up after his conviction in the death of a motorcylist when he blew a stop sign.

She is currently up for re-election and by all accounts, has been doing a fine job representing South Dakota and from what I read in this article, the US delegation in Iraq.

Save your cheap shots for those deserving of them.

[clydefrand]

2. So will they come back and say all is well in Iraq

or will they tell us how it really is?

[billbuckhead]

6. Kudos for Ms. Herseth for going over there

I hope she gets a lot of air time when she gets back.

[shraby]

3. This is a facetious statement

"You know that you're in a combat zone. I think you just sort of adjust your perspective to be vigilant," she said.

You can adjust anything you want, but if you are standing in the proximity of a shell, grenade, bomb going off, you are likely to get hurt no matter what your perspective or vigilance.

[w4rma]

7. There's more than the frequent projectile to worry about in a combat zone.

What she says was her observation and I think it's probably accurate.

[AIJ Alom]

4. I wonder if the attack changed the Republican's minds.

Maybe it shook up their "Stepford" programming. And heck this attack happened well within the green zone.

[AIJ Alom]

5. Also to be noted. Only a Democrat has spoken out thus far.

Wonder what the Republicans have to say ?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

8. Trust me when I tell you...

Garrett would have nothing intelligent to say. As low-rent as they come.

[Eye and Monkey]

16. What the Repubes will be saying -

"We could hear the footsteps of freedom marching across Iraq, we could feel the rumble of a new Iraq being born..."

[Xipe Totec]

9. Ladies & Gentlemen, Welcome to Baghdad.

The weather today will be light to moderate ground fire with scattered mortar rounds throughout the afternoon. The captain has turned off the air-raid siren, but we ask that you please remain in your bunkers with your flak-jackets fully secured. We know you have a choice in November, so we thank you for staying alive and flying neoCon-Air, where we always fly high as a kite, unbounded by the narrow limits of reality.

[pretzel4gore]

10. conbat zone? combat with whom?

the iraqis are, at best, a french resistance type operation...betcha the germans occupiers never referred to the fights against the underground as 'combat'
language is bushit in georgebushamerica (see sudanese 'genocide')

[ElsewheresDaughter]

11. but...but i thought Alwari and * said everything was going great in Iraq

[Barrett808]

12. It's the Wolfowitz Welcome n/t

[leftchick]

13. I wonder if it was this car bomb?

There are so many great examples of freedom in Iraq it is hard to find the right event!


http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=8769


<snip>

Following the air strikes, twin car bombings struck U.S. and Iraqi security forces west of Fallujah, causing casualties of both nationalities, a U.S. commander said.

No further details were immediately available.

Another 10 people were killed in an insurgent attack on a convoy of petrol tankers in Latifiyya south of Baghdad, medics said.

Iraqi security sources said a group of attackers sprayed gunfire on the tankers, setting fire to all five trucks and sparking a fierce firefight with national guardsmen escorting the convoy.

One Iraqi was killed and four people wounded when a mortar round ploughed into a busy shopping district of Baghdad, police said.

Police also reported a farmer was killed when he got caught in clashes between U.S. troops and insurgents near the town of Baquba, north of the capital

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

14. The traditional Baghdad greeting and sign of respect. Mortar and

rocket bombardment. Second only to the highest flattery of removal of the head. Wow! If Iraqis get to feeling they are any more "on the right track" as Shrub boy claims, they might buy the U.S. a surplus Russian nuke for Christmas!