5 explosions just heard in Baghad 01:17 PM ET Mon

[Khephra]

CNN Now..

NW part of the city. Loudness quite intense. Near Interim authority.

[Dookus]

1. "extremely large explosions"

from the direction of the provisional authority headquarters....

[janx]

2. I just heard this reported, khep.

All of this is making me so sick...

[caledesi]

36. me too janx...I don't know how much longer I can't take this madness.

"Things are progressing as expected." - Rummy lying his *ss off.

[janx]

43. The media's treatment of it makes the whole thing even worse.

We have become so numb to all of this that it's eerie!

[MUAD_DIB]

112. You're not the only one.

I can't even watch the news any longer without getting so mad that it makes me feel physically ill.

God how I hate the Chimp!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. Appears to have come from the Iraq Interim Authority Bldgs... EOM

[jenk]

4. that must mean we're winning

like robert fisk said

this shows the iraqi's that america can't control iraq

it shows americans that they can't control iraq

[hatrack]

5. Listen up, y'all - it's the sound of "progress"!

At least, that's according to Smirky McCodpiece.

So why, then is there a knot in my stomach right now, and why do I feel like praying?

[janx]

8. The news coverage of this is really revolting--

They mention it as "breaking news" and then go on to the court TV trial of the say, etc.

[janx]

6. This sort of thing is only going to continue.

These guys are getting organized--there's no other conclusion to draw from all of this.

[Holly]

9. Organized

and angry.

[janx]

16. No doubt. It's beginning to sound like an all-out military

campaign.

[Holly]

20. Didn't you get the memo

mission accomplished...they don't have a clue.

[Cocoa]

42. sounds like major military operations

[janx]

44. Yep--at least as "major" as can be mustered, under the

circumstances.

[jenk]

7. another "bad day" rummy, you slimey bastard

.

[liberalhistorian]

12. I say send him and Darth Cheney

and the Boy King Imposter Smirky over there in combat uniforms, we'll see if they say "bring 'em on" then!

[Ellen Forradalom]

50. I think we can now consider it brought.

Is this what Smirk had in mind when he said bring 'em on?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

10. Bob Arnott saying they were mortar rounds and trying to dismiss

seriousness of the explosions.

[Cocoa]

45. Dr. Baghdad Bob Arnot

[DebbieCDC]

73. Baghdad Bob Arnot

I would like to know how in the hell NBC's doctor-in-residence that used to comment on fad diets & herbal supplements on the Today show gets elevated to war correspondent?????? I guess whoredom run amok is the only answer.

[sal]

81. He hurried to the barbershop to speak to the "man in the street"

about what a jolly good job we are doing. Unfortunately the man in the street was turned to pink spray.

[SpiralHawk]

83. Hey, I went to grammar shcool with Bhagdad Bob

for 7 years in Massachusetts. He was a good guy back then, hard working and fair, as he seems to be now. His Dad, also a Dr., was well respected in town.

[On the Road]

91. SpiralHawk, Are You Serious?

I know Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf has a literature degree from the US. Were you ever in the same class, or just the same school? What else can you relate about him? He's an even more fascinating figure knowing that he was "one of us" in the states for much of his life.

[Wednesdays]

143. Hey, now that you mention it...

I used to go to the same high school as Jennifer Lopez. In fact, she and I went out a few times.

[formactv]

144. and then there is my wife

Morgan Fairchild

[Cush]

11. NOthing to see here

CNN is on to other news, MSNBC is back to Laci Peterson, FOX is doing whatever it does

[Dookus]

13. give them some time....

they don't know what happened yet. I'm sure they'll go back to it as soon as they have some info.

[janx]

18. True...but they don't seem very concerned at all. Have we

as a nation actually become so numb?

[Dookus]

21. aarrgh

the explosions occurred halfway around the world, 17 minutes ago.

Give them a few minutes to figure out what happened before jumping to these silly conclusions that they're trying to hide something.

[htuttle]

32. You speak as though the media had a good track record.

Well, they don't. They consistently cover things up or minimize them by not covering them.

It's no tinfoil hat theory -- at any given time, just compare the international headlines in the British papers websites to what passes for international headlines on most major US media outlets.

It's certainly not a silly conclusion that the US media fails to proved adequate coverage -- that's become a fact at this point.

[Dookus]

35. the presumption here...

is that they cut away because of some unwillingness to cover the story. I think that's hogwash.

They DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!

And the media actually DO have a good track record. Far from perfect, but good.

We will know more about these explosions, BECAUSE of the media.

[janx]

46. That certainly wasn't my presumption.

.

[Holly]

15. Yup...nothing to see

move along.Black is white...up is down.

[suegeo]

31. Laci Peterson is STILL making the "news"??

God, I beeseech thee, make the media whores stop already.

I feel bad she was murdered and all, but what IS WITH the obsession with this peterson story?

[janx]

47. The obsession is simple: It's $$$$$$$$$$$

People like sleaze and buy sleaze. As long as they keep doing so, advertisers will as well.

[maxrandb]

48. Like the KINKS said, "Give the People What They Want"

It all started with the OJ trial. Since then they have been looking for the next big salacious trial to keep the folks entertained. Just wait until the Robert Blake trial gets rolling. Front page news you know. Like FOX, people just can't turn away from a train wreck

[Dookus]

49. janx is right...

if there were enough people to make 24/7 coverage of foreign policy issues profitable, somebody would do it.

The cause and effect is turned around here. People seem to think the media spoon-feed us these sensational murder stories, therefore that's what people like. It's the other way around: people like the murder stories, so the news outlets cover them.

The problem is with the consumers, not the producers.

[suegeo]

84. I know! Enough with Joe Scarbourgh coverage already!

I know.

Every time I turn on the t.v., it's "Joe Scarborough" this, and "Lori Klausitus" that. Scarborugh's parents are all over the tv morning shows, yapping away, about how their son would never have an affair with a married woman on his staff. I'm like "shut up already!"

And of course, the media only treats republicans this way.

For example, did you even know that some congressman named Kondit was romatically linked to some intern in his office (I forget her name) and later this intern went missing. I saw scant coverage of this in the press, and when it was covered, the reporters were all like, "Tragic, but there's no way Larry Kondit could have been behind this. It's time to move on, folks." And, oh, yeah, you guessed it, Terry Condit was a democrat. Do a google search on, you'll be shocked what our for-profit media is willing to cover-up.

[Dookus]

86. I've never said

they excel at analysis. but they DID report the Scarborough affair - we all know about it, don't we?

They will report more about the explosions in Baghdad. You can bet on it.

[suegeo]

101. Sorry

It's just that the double standard sometimes makes me a little crazy.

The only way I knew about Scarbourough was to read about it on the internet.

[Cocoa]

53. there's also persuading people to want certain things

I think a lot of these stories are sold to the public, that the interest they generate is not inherent in the story.

Like consumer products with new added features that no one asked for.

[Khephra]

14. How's this for irony for you?

And the exact same time as CNN and MSNBC is reporting this, Faux is showing a panel of "average" people who were asked, "Do you think this is another Vietnam?" Of course the Faux fans know what to say--"NO!"

:crazy: world!

[htuttle]

17. At least it's not a brick!

Just an inside joke for CNBC watchers this morning...


:eyes:


(here's what I was talking about:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=197238&mesg_id=197238
)

[UpInArms]

19. here's a link

to a short newsblurb

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031103/API/311030766

Series of Blasts Heard in Central Baghdad

The Associated Press

Strong explosions were heard late Monday in central Baghdad, and it appeared the blasts were coming from the western side of the Tigris River.

Five blasts shook the area in quick succession about 9:10 p.m. The U.S. military command had no information on the incident.

[DuctapeFatwa]

22. Has Scott Peterson commented on these explosions yet?

Good thing there are plenty of reporters there at the jail in case he decides to make a statement.

[Dookus]

25. What would you do if you ran CNN?

cut to a live cam of baghdad while a reporter says over and over "Um.... we don't know anything yet. Um... we don't know anything yet...."?

While the news networks don't do the job *I* personally wish they would do, I don't think they deliberately hide this stuff.

BTW... CNN back to Iraq - new explosion in Tikrit.

[DuctapeFatwa]

37. LOL If *I* ran CNN? I would be seized and detained within an hour

As helicopter gunships strafed the building.

Seriously, I will admit that I am not of the opinion that sensational murder stories, however attractive and perky the victim, are appropriate content for a national news network, especially at a time when the regime is occupying two countries, tuning up to invade several others, and funding a pariah state while the number of Americans without jobs, without homes, without food continues to rise.

I think the supermarket tabloids are more than capable of exploiting the tragedies of well-groomed affluent families while ignoring those of the swelling ranks of the poor.

[leftchick]

39. well said DF!

I concur..... :)

[Dookus]

40. where we probably agree...

is that it's unfortunate that the news has been commercialized. For decades, the networks reported news out of a sense of public obligation - that is gone now.

However, if people didn't CARE about sensationalist murders, nobody would cover them. But clearly, people DO care, so the news networks cover them. If people cared about farm subsidy policy debates, they'd cover that. They all compete to get people to watch - clearly murder coverage gets people to watch.

on edit: I meant to ask what would you do in THIS instance if you ran CNN? You don't have any information - all you know is there were some big booms. Do you show a reporter in baghdad blathering on about nothing until you get the news? Or do you wait until you KNOW something to report it?

[DuctapeFatwa]

51. Chicken or egg?

The public wants the trash, the nets need to sell ads, so they pimp the trash.

At the same time, the reason the regime "leans" on the media to downplay certain issues is because if the media gave, for example, the same kind of attention to US troops casualties, the reluctance of the bush regime to have the 911 events looked into, Halliburton's profits vs what the directors of homeless shelters in 4 or 5 major cities have to say, the US sections of Amnesty International or HRW reports, and zog zog zog, those things would become every bit as much a hot water cooler and dinner table topic as the Single Hair.

This reminds me of conversations about higher expectations and higher achievement in the classroom :)

[Dookus]

54. as I said below...

if there were enough people who cared about those things to make it profitable for somebody to cover them 24/7, somebody would do it.

[Oilwellian]

78. Tell me.....

How does CNN know what the public is interested in when they only report 24/7 on Laci Peterson, Elizabeth Smart & Kobe Bryant? How and when did they make these decisions for us? Why are you defending their blatant propaganda and when will you question why they aren't covering the coffins returning from Iraq; the thousands of injured in veteran hospitals; the thousands of innocent Iraqis we've killed; Bush's lies; stories on the millions of unemployed in this country; et al? (I'm sure you get the gist) WTF makes you think I have a lick of interest in Laci Peterson or Kobe Bryant?? Speak for yourself.

[Dookus]

80. I never said you OR I have such an interest...

and no need to be so snarky.

It's demonstrably untrue that CNN covers Kobe or Laci 24/7.

[indigo11153]

58. No instant information

Understandable but that we are having to wait even a few minutes for reports other than "explosion" goes to show how isolated the press is in Iraq. They have to wait for reports from the pentagon it seems. They just can't just send a team to the site? Why not? If they can't report the story I want them to report why not. Is Iraq free? Free press? Free to go anywhere and report anything? What's that story CNN? That's what I am asking. What's the hold up?

[Dookus]

60. and I was just thinking the opposite...

how amazing it is that 15 minutes after explosions are heard halfway around the world, we all know about it.

I'm reading "The Bounty" right now, where it took 6 months to 2 years for news to travel around the world. Now we get it nearly instaneously, but it's still not good enough for people. They want the WHOLE story immediately. Sorry, but that's just not possible.

Explosions are heard somewhere in Baghdad. Reporters need to get there. Once there, they need to make sense of the chaos. They need to get TV crews there. They need to put together the story.

And people are complaining that it shouldn't take a whole HOUR to do it.

[indigo11153]

66. Right

It's 2003 and we are at war and the press is there. I expect to have some info after an hour. You bet.

[Dookus]

68. you had info in less than 15 minutes

[indigo11153]

77. If you call them

reporting a big boom info.:eyes:

[Dookus]

79. ok... you're right.

they're not gonna cover this. they won't go back to it. Just like they didn't cover the helicopter shot down... oh wait... they DID cover that.

OK.. like the explosion on Karbala... oh wait... they ARE covering that. OK... like the bombing in Tikrit... oh wait... they ARE covering that....

:eyes:

[indigo11153]

87. That's not my point

I didn't say they would not cover it but I am wondering why they are not reporting this directly now? They made it to the helicopter quick enough. I am not bashing the media but I think this is odd. Can I have your permission to think for myself?

[janx]

89. for what it's worth, I'm now beginning to agree with you...

It has been over an hour and a half.

[indigo11153]

110. Thanks janx

it is worth a lot to me.

[Dookus]

90. disagreeing with you

isn't trying to stop you from thinking for yourself. I don't know what would give you that impression.

I can think of a few reasons why it's difficult to report this story immediately - perhaps the area is not secure and reporters can't get in. Perhaps it's chaotic and nobody really knows what happened yet. Who knows?

They'll tell us more in a bit. I'm simply saying that this kind of impatience is silly, and to conclude prematurely that it's either government censorship or network self-censorship isn't yet warranted.

[indigo11153]

102. Fine we disagree but don't insult me

I am not being silly. I'll decide for myself what is premature. You can not rule out government or network censorship. With all respect, I am not interested in your guesses on why it might be difficult to report. I want the facts. A report or a report why there is no report.

[Dookus]

107. then...

don't read my posts. It's that simple.

If you think I've insulted you, hit the Alert button.

[indigo11153]

109. Don't reply to mine then

Thanks

[DuctapeFatwa]

103. To be fair to the media, they probably need to check out which cover bans

may apply to any given story in Iraq.

[DuctapeFatwa]

71. It IS possible, and we have all seen it done, when that is what is desired

If there is a humanbomber in Israel, we get second-by second, live feeds from Israeli TV, and we even beat them sometimes. I remember talking on IRC to a person who was IN Tel Aviv once, and typing CNN reports before Israeli TV even had it.

At the beginning of the Crusade, when they wanted the embeds to report something live, we had live feeds, we had webcams, although not everyone in Washington appreciated the BBC pulling back for that long shot on the Statue Show ;)

It is no secret that the regime has decreed that media should report "good news" from Iraq, so I guess we should be grateful that we are even told that there are explosions, in 3 different cities, yet another pipeline blast, and clashes in Mecca, all at the same time.

The latest US polls show that 10% say that bush has increased prosperity!

[ThreeCatNight]

65. I disagree

If the media didn't mention the Peterson case for a week, do you honestly think they would get calls complaining?
The viewing public has such a short attention span to begin with, I doubt anyone (outside of the general area) would even notice if they stopped.
It is the media that tells us what we "want" to watch, not the other way around..

[Dookus]

67. I think if one network didn't cover it..

a substantial number of viewers would switch to one that did.

I'm pretty sure they track these things. I see no reason to assume a nefarious purpose when simple profit motive will explain it.

[FlaGranny]

93. Well why not

have a reporter blabbing about nothing? They do it every day, all the time. Station a reporter outside the courtroom and start talking about the verdict coming down and what it might be - speculating to end all speculation. That's what they do best. They even neglect to cover Democratic news conferences to rehash speculation that has been rehashed many times over. So what not station a reporter on the street in Baghdad and have him speculate?
Hmmm???? :-)

[htuttle]

41. LOL! Thanks for the mental image...

BTW, when I played that one out in my mind, you looked just like Howard Beale...

[DuctapeFatwa]

56. eep! I have been outed as an actor from the 1973 Lost Horizon?

thanks SOO much. Now I will have that stupid "Circle" song in my head all day. :P

[janx]

55. No, but we heard from the Marathon Man about the blood

in his urine.

[janx]

57. NOW they're talking about Peterson and Lacy.

Why can't CNN just come up with their own Court TV?

[Goldmund]

23. Reuters: Loud Blast, Mortar Fire, Near U.S. HQ in Baghdad

They say there was an explosion followed by mortar fire.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CGRRKLZM5DO5ICRBAE0CFEY?type=topNews&storyID=3744811

[leftchick]

24. BBC Breaking...

not much info yet...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3238599.stm
There has been an explosion at a shrine in the holy city of Karbala south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Unconfirmed reports say three people have been killed and 12 injured.

Reports are also coming in of a series of large explosions in Baghdad and witnesses say there has been mortar fire near the US headquarters.

It is not known if the Baghdad blasts have caused any damage or injuries.

[jenk]

27. more organized attacks, timed perfectly

.

[Khephra]

26. Also an attack in Tikrit

At least one soldier is dead. CNN now. Landmine?

[yellowcanine]

28. Saddam Loyalists or Foreign Terraists?

Got to be one or the other. Should be easy to catch the perps if we can just tell which type of explosions they were. Well, thank goodness for all of this untidiness, though. Otherwise, we might think we weren't making any progress.

[yellowcanine]

29. Just heard there are explosions in Tikrit also

Hope all of this "progress" doesn't make us overconfident. Of course this additional "untidiness" can't be a sign of organized resistance with command and control. Nah - thank goodness for that.

[leftchick]

30. Here is a Yahoo link...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=2&u=/ap/20031103/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_blasts

The Karbala blast occurred on a busy street less than 100 yards from the gold-domed Imam Hussein shrine in the city, 65 miles south of the Iraqi capital, said Mohammed Abu Jaffar al-Assadi, a Shiite cleric.

All the dead apparently were passers-by. He said the bomb had apparently been planted in a parked car. It was not immediately possible to get confirmation of the report from Iraqi police or the U.S.-led coalition.

In Baghdad, five strong explosions were heard in quick succession at about 9:10 p.m., and it appeared the blasts were coming from the western side of the Tigris River.

Soon after, the U.S military command reported three or four mortar impacts in central Baghdad.

[Jack Rabbit]

33. BBC reporting an additional explosion in Karbala

From the BBC Online
Dated Monday November 3 18:26 GMT (10:26 am PST)

Breaking News: Explosion at Iraqi holy shrine

There has been an explosion at a shrine in the holy city of Karbala south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Unconfirmed reports say three people have been killed and 12 injured.
Reports are also coming in of a series of large explosions in Baghdad and witnesses say there has been mortar fire near the US headquarters.
It is not known if the Baghdad blasts have caused any damage or injuries.

The link will automatically update as facts are confirmed by the BBC.

[proud patriot]

34. :-( WAR SUCKS

:-(

[janx]

38. Especially when it's a LIAR'S war.

Then it sucks even more.

[RedEarth]

52. No big deal...it's just some of the prisoners that were set free

once we invaded Iraq. No, actually it's the "bitter-enders", oh it's really Osama, no,it's foreign insurgents......they're all pissed because we are doing such a great job.

bushie boy....this is what many people were predicting before you and your arrogant as.holes invaded Iraq. Welcome to the real world...fool!!!

[nomaco-10]

59. Why is there no follow up on this.....

It was well over an hour ago I heard the breaking news on MSNBC and still no details. You mean to tell me news organizations as big as CNN NBC or FAUX don't have "roaming" reporters in Iraq able to cover a damn news story. Only breaking news coverage worth a damn is when something happens during the middle of the night here and CNN INTERNATIONAL takes over.

[indigo11153]

62. I was just wondering same

See message 58. WHAT is the deal? I am with you. What's the story on No story?

[nomaco-10]

69. It's unbelievable and inexcusable....

CNN has it's international reporters and camera crews in Baghdad and there's no excuse. They should be able to go remote - live within minutes of anything happening in Baghdad.

[Dookus]

70. they WERE live within minutes...

reporting what they knew at the time. Which was very little. When they know more, they'll report more.

[janx]

88. Dookus, this one is weird. It has now been an hour and a half

since the blasts were first reported. CNN is doing a segment about baby boomers and aging. Heck, every time a bomb goes off in Isreal, there's immediate and substantial live coverage.

It may be dangerous close to the site of impact, but surely reporters have learned at least where that is...?

[0rganism]

113. So how much longer do you give 'em before you think something's awry?

Given that there are reporters in Baghdad, and they were able to provide a live feed of the attacks on the red cross building within minutes, complete with running commentary...

If nothing's forthcoming after 6 hours, will you still give them the benefit of the doubt?

[Dookus]

123. no....

six hours is too long.

I'm more worried at the moment than I am suspicious. The CNN website says an army camp was hit - I fear it's very bad.

[janx]

134. If it is bad, it could be that the media don't want to freak

people out, especially after yesterday.

The people on Crossfire are certainly pissed off and shaken--not about this specifically, but about the escalation of violence in general.

[jayfish]

63. Not To Add Fuel To The Fire...

but the MSNBC.com site had this under its' breaking news headline for about 30 minutes with "more news soon" attached. It has been replaced by "AP: Wagner Traded To Phillies - All Star Pitcher Leaving Houston"
Hmmmm... stay vigilant on this one folks.

Jay

[nomaco-10]

72. yeah, and P Diddy's marathon finish and the Peterson trial of course

[RaulGroom]

64. If it happened near the US HQ

They probably aren't allowing reporters access to the blast site. It sounds like there was a mortar attack on the U.S. headquarters. I'd imagine we won't know much of anything until this afternoon.

[0007]

100. If I were you, I'd get after 'em!

InternationNews or BBC is where you might find some news.

[CivilRightsNow]

145. The spin has been driving me nuts

Im always up this time of morning and this is always when the major things happen. They will report them with a mention and then cut out to canned taped Larry Kings or National Geographics. It is absolutely maddening.

When the Red Cross bombing happened I thought I was going to go insane. It was like they had to check and make sure what the could and couldnt cover even though they already had live cameras at the scene they cut out to looped footage and then reruns.

It's gotten so much worse in the last week. It pisses me off to high hell. When we were shocking and awe- ing them, I had 50 different camera angles and constant footage. When they are returning the favor.. move along, there is nothing to see here. We will tell you what to see when we get our stories fabricated.

Fuckers.

[leftchick]

61. CNN link....1 Soldier dead in Tikrit....

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A day after a U.S. Army helicopter crashed in a suspected shoot-down, killing 16 soldiers, two separate attacks were made Monday against U.S. troops in Iraq, a military spokesman said.

Three or four mortars slammed into central Baghdad on Monday evening, a coalition military spokesman told CNN.

The spokesman declined to say where the mortars struck, but the blasts, which hit shortly after 9 p.m. (1 p.m. EST), shook the ground at the Palestine Hotel, where many journalists are based.

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/03/sprj.irq.main/index.html

[indigo11153]

74. Holy

Shit! Was the press hit?! Why can't they report directly?

[T Bone]

75. Baghdad Tikrit and Karbala today

3 areas hit just today.
MSNBC was initially saying that the BAghdad explosions were larger than mortars, and they are near the US Authority premises. I wonder if Bremer knows what a target he is?

Why do they say the explosions are huge then seem to back off to 'oh they were mortars'? They were also saying earth-shaking. Then they were on saying well maybe this is just getting rid of some 'captured' explosives. Oh yeah right, they do that in the middle of the fucking night and in the middle of Baghdad I am sure.

Really we need to watch CBS and ABC evening news they will cover ALL 3 this evening and wonder what they will say. 3 major attcks limke this the day after the Chinook gets downed. This is going to be ugly on the evening news.

[janx]

82. I think we can safely assume that some factions have gotten

together and organized within the past few months. (Not that most of it didn't predict it before the war even started...)

The conflicting reports are to be expected, but it is strange that no new information has come out about the Baghdad blasts.

[tom_paine]

85. Not strange for Imperial Amerika

As information control ratechets gradually up to Soviet levels...

[T Bone]

76. kick

nt

[Emboldened Chimp]

92. CNN home page--top story

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/03/sprj.irq.main/index.html

Coalition: Mortars hit in Baghdad
One U.S. soldier killed in Tikrit; bomb explodes at Karbala hotel

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) --A day after a U.S. Army helicopter crashed in a suspected missile strike, killing 16 soldiers and wounding 20 others, mortars struck Monday in Baghdad, and a U.S. soldier died in north-central Iraq, U.S.-led coalition officials said.

Three or four mortars slammed into the central part of the Iraqi capital Monday evening, a coalition military spokesman said

The spokesman declined to say where the mortars hit, but the blasts, which occurred shortly after 9 p.m. (1 p.m. EST), shook the ground at the Palestine Hotel, where many journalists are based.

Initial reports indicated the sound of the blasts came from the vicinity of one of Saddam Hussein's palace complexes, which the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority now occupies.

[DoYouEverWonder]

104. Centcom must have lifted the blackout

They can only stiffle major bad news for so long.

I wonder if Nov. 1st, the six month anniversary of W's 'Mission Accomplished' statement will be know has the start of 'Mission Failed'.

[VolcanoJen]

94. MSNBC Live - Extensive reporting on the explosions - 3:05 pm

Bob Arnot just reported live from Baghdad, and they're still covering the story.

[janx]

95. Have they mentioned yet exactly what was hit?

?

[Dookus]

98. no... not yet

CNN just cut to it briefly and the Baghdad reporter said more info coming within a few minutes.

I suspect the area is either still unsafe or has been "secured" by the military.

They are however, repeatedly mentioning Tikrit and Karbala.

[Dookus]

96. LOL

2 minutes after you posted this, I switched to MSNBC and they were covering the Scott Peterson trial :)

[0rganism]

114. Well, that's extensive coverage for ya, there you go!

Two minutes is an admirable estimate of the American attention span, apparently.

Plus, you never know when some whackjob is going to go after his lawyer in front of the courthouse. Blink and you miss the "good stuff".

[janx]

97. Mortars hit near coalition provisional HQ...

No info. yet on casualties.

This might be a bad one.

[Dookus]

99. I agree...

this is worrisome. Let's hope for the best.

[janx]

108. Maybe we'll get the story before tomorrow.

?

[0rganism]

119. Betcha Al-Jazeera gets the scoop on this one

Why even try to follow this in the American press? May as well go to the guys who have insurgency embeds.

[janx]

121. "insurgency embeds"

That's appropriate!

[0rganism]

124. Hey, everyone's doing it

:evilgrin:

[janx]

105. What on earth is going on? How can they mention these

huge explosions and mention the general area but not give us any specifics at all after over two hours?

[spinbaby]

111. Consider...

It's dark in Baghdad, things are blowing up, the military has the area cordoned off...if you were a reporter, would you go out there to see what's going on?

[nomaco-10]

116. Ah, yeah, seeing as they ...

cling to piers with 150 mph hurricane winds bearring down on them, crawled thru jungles and jumped in foxholes to cover WWII and Viet Nam and shimmy up tall trees to get pics of J-ho and Ben Afflicted, yeah, I think they could hook us up with some video of some burning buildings in Iraq with a telephoto lens.

[indigo11153]

117. That's what I want to know

Why can't they report? This is odd. Judy is back to bashing Democrats on CNN. No news as they said was coming "next". No detailed report as promised.

[janx]

126. I don't understand it either.

But some of this is being witheld for some reason.

[nomaco-10]

106. Oh, well, I guess it was .....

unusual thunder storms in the region, working those rock quarries for the reconstruction or Haliburton getting the oil out. Ridiculous

[janx]

115. Mortar blasts rock Baghdad

A series of mortar blasts shook parts of Baghdad tonight.

The five explosions were heard in quick succession after sunset. The US military said three to four mortars were fired from southwestern Baghdad.

One struck a camp of the 2nd Armoured Cavalry Regiment but caused no injuries, a statement said.

Two others struck in central Baghdad, the statement added without giving a location.

It said there was no damage to buildings of the US-led occupation.

http://www.examiner.ie/breaking/2003/11/03/story119960.html

[spinbaby]

118. Doesn't add up

How does five large explosions equal three or four mortars?

[janx]

120. You noticed that too?

The military is witholding information for whatever reason. I did a news.google.com search--they were all similar.

[leftchick]

125. I wonder if someone in the CPA got injured....

nah, they probably sleep in saddams vaults somewhere.....

[0rganism]

122. secondary explosions, perhaps?

Maybe the shells hit a munitions depot, or some parked vehicles carrying bombs? :shrug:

This attack is getting the full shroud, no doubt about it.

[janx]

127. It's possible I guess.

But it's still hard to believe that some reporter somewhere couldn't get the information.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

128. Is this the beginning of the Iraqi "Shock and Awe" campaign?

Looks like they've been taking their battle lessons from Rumsfeld...

[nomaco-10]

129. This really is bizaarre, they broke in almost 21/2 hrs. ago.....

on every station with fast breaking news alerts and nothing, not even a "no further details" in the last hour. It really is strange at this point.

[markus]

130. No News Is Good News

and if you disagree with that, you must be a traitor.

If you disagree with that and you're a report on the ground in Iraq, you will likely wind up dead at the hands of your own countrymen.

Do we live in a wonderful time and place or what.

Have to wait for the free press in the U.K. to do some actual reporting, because you won't get it here from our Great Patriotic Media.

[RaulGroom]

131. "No Injuries Reported"

I think we may be making a big deal out of nothing here. Some mortar rounds went off, and no one was hurt. Not much of a story. We're just all on edge after yesterday.

[Dookus]

132. well...

"no injuries reported" is very different from "it was reported there were no injuries". The first one just claims ignorance altogether, where the second one claims to know SOMETHING.

[janx]

135. Very good point--

and yes, the two are very different.

[0rganism]

133. 5 huge explosions, but Diddly Shit Reported

No one was hurt, or maybe a LOT of people were hurt. We won't know until the reporters report.

[Dookus]

136. that's exactly what I think...

it's either nothing or it's something very big.

[nomaco-10]

137. If it turns out to be all

Iraqi deaths and injuries, then it doesn't matter to the cabal or the media, american fatalities are all that matter, and not because they really give a damn, but because it makes it appear to the murkans that the war is going badly.

[janx]

138. Wolfie just said that at the top of the hour he's going to get

into "a series of deadly attacks," etc., and that the Senate Intelligence Committee has been briefed, etc.

But it's not clear as to whether the "series of deadly attacks" will include the latest explosions in Baghdad.

[janx]

139. Inside the Green Zone:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/03/sprj.irq.main/index.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Three rockets or mortar shells exploded Monday night in the highly secure area of the Iraqi capital that houses the U.S.-led coalition's headquarters, a coalition spokesman said.

The explosions came a day after a U.S. Army helicopter crashed in a suspected missile strike, killing 16 soldiers and wounding 20 others.

Three rockets or mortar shells slammed inside the "Green Zone," an area of Baghdad where U.S. occupation authorities work and live. One of the shells hit a camp of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, while two others struck areas near central Baghdad, according to a Coalition Provisional Authority statement.

No damage or injuries were reported from the blasts, which occurred about 9 p.m. (1 p.m. EST). The spokesman said an explosives disposal team was trying to determine whether rockets or mortar fire caused the explosions.

[DoYouEverWonder]

140. One of the shells hit a camp

of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

A direct hit. That's why they put a clamp on this story earlier. Seems the resistance is going into high gear.

I wonder how much longer Bremmer's gonna sit there like a sitting duck?
Hey Bremmer wake up, W & Rummie don't give a shit if you live or die. As a matter of fact, he would make a good looking martyr. They could bury him with his boots on, just like a real cowboy.

[janx]

141. That thought occurred to me as well. They couldn't just come out

and say that the 2nd had been hit; it would have scared a lot of people. And besides, the whole thing is the ultimate embarrassment anyway since the area is supposed to be secure.

[4dsc]

142. Let's face it they know where we are

and they know we now retreat to our bases at night for the most part. Our boys are just sitting duck's to shelling like this...

[CivilRightsNow]

146. You have to be joking me

There was nothing more on this? And nothing about the 2nd shelling/bombing/unknown?

Unbelieveable.