sarettah
10-26-2003, 01:29 AM
Ok, this is the same hotel that was hit in September.... But this time, they got it pretty good....
Wolfowitz is in Baghdad and generally the brass stay at the Al Rasheed... Official word sounds like they don't know where he is....
:unsure:
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._hotel_attacked (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20031026/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_hotel_attacked)
Rockets Hit Baghdad's Al Rasheed Hotel
13 minutes ago
By CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Six to eight rockets on Sunday struck the Al Rasheed Hotel, where U.S. military and civilian employees stay, the U.S. military said.
A spokesman for the military command said there were an "unknown number of casualties" and a quick reaction force had been dispatched to the scene. U.S. officials declined further comment.
The attack came a day after guerrillas fired small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter after it came down in a field near Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s hometown of Tikrit, wounding one soldier and causing the craft to explode in flames and spew a column of black smoke.
The blast, which blew out windows and blackened outside walls, sent American soldiers and officials fleeing the building in pajamas and shorts, witnesses said.
The luxury hotel is located in an area tightly controlled by the U.S. military on the western side of the Tigris River near the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition and the Convention Center which houses U.S. information and other offices.
A large area of central Baghdad was sealed off by American forces after the blast, which coalition authorities said occurred at 6:10 a.m.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, who began a three-day tour of Iraq (news - web sites) on Friday, was in Baghdad, but his whereabouts were unknown. The Pentagon (news - web sites) had no immediate comment.
Some balconies in the midlevel of the hotel appeared damaged and a large hole caused by a rocket was visible on one side of the building. Iraqi police at the scene said they believed the projectiles were fired from a park southwest of the hotel.
Several U.S. Army Humvees and at least one armored personnel carrier were blocking the street leading up to the hotel.
Iraqi security guard Dafer Jawad, 28, said he saw projectiles flying toward the hotel.
"There was a whooshing sound," he said. "One landed in the front of the hotel. I saw very heavy white smoke in front of the hotel....Many people started rushing across from the hotel into the Convention Center. They were wearing pajamas and shorts."
Sgt. Pedro Perez, 28, of Orlando, Fla., said the some of the projectiles landed near the front entrance. He said there had been casualties but did not know how many.
The hotel was attacked Sept. 27 with small rockets or rocket-propelled grenades, causing only minimal damage.
Wolfowitz is in Baghdad and generally the brass stay at the Al Rasheed... Official word sounds like they don't know where he is....
:unsure:
************************************************** *******
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._hotel_attacked (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20031026/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_hotel_attacked)
Rockets Hit Baghdad's Al Rasheed Hotel
13 minutes ago
By CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Six to eight rockets on Sunday struck the Al Rasheed Hotel, where U.S. military and civilian employees stay, the U.S. military said.
A spokesman for the military command said there were an "unknown number of casualties" and a quick reaction force had been dispatched to the scene. U.S. officials declined further comment.
The attack came a day after guerrillas fired small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter after it came down in a field near Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s hometown of Tikrit, wounding one soldier and causing the craft to explode in flames and spew a column of black smoke.
The blast, which blew out windows and blackened outside walls, sent American soldiers and officials fleeing the building in pajamas and shorts, witnesses said.
The luxury hotel is located in an area tightly controlled by the U.S. military on the western side of the Tigris River near the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition and the Convention Center which houses U.S. information and other offices.
A large area of central Baghdad was sealed off by American forces after the blast, which coalition authorities said occurred at 6:10 a.m.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, who began a three-day tour of Iraq (news - web sites) on Friday, was in Baghdad, but his whereabouts were unknown. The Pentagon (news - web sites) had no immediate comment.
Some balconies in the midlevel of the hotel appeared damaged and a large hole caused by a rocket was visible on one side of the building. Iraqi police at the scene said they believed the projectiles were fired from a park southwest of the hotel.
Several U.S. Army Humvees and at least one armored personnel carrier were blocking the street leading up to the hotel.
Iraqi security guard Dafer Jawad, 28, said he saw projectiles flying toward the hotel.
"There was a whooshing sound," he said. "One landed in the front of the hotel. I saw very heavy white smoke in front of the hotel....Many people started rushing across from the hotel into the Convention Center. They were wearing pajamas and shorts."
Sgt. Pedro Perez, 28, of Orlando, Fla., said the some of the projectiles landed near the front entrance. He said there had been casualties but did not know how many.
The hotel was attacked Sept. 27 with small rockets or rocket-propelled grenades, causing only minimal damage.