Huge explosion in downtown Baghdad during a live MSNBC report just now

[NNN0LHI]

Reporter looks scared shitless. Said it sounded like a car bomb. Whatever that sounds like? They just replayed it. Sounded very comparable to "Shock and Awe". Reporter said he could feel the heat from the blast on his face. Said he was in Beirut in the 80's and this is very similar to that. The troops have been complaining that they can't tell who the enemy is.

[La_Serpiente]

1. It seems like

MSNBC is always reporting a blast.

Doesn't Cnn and Faux News care?

[gratuitous]

2. More "progress"?

Details as they come in, thanks.

[hang a left]

3. thanks for the heads up

[sistersofmercy]

4. Eventually the Iraqi Resistance will do a "Beirut" barracks attack eom

[UpInArms]

5. we must be doing very well

because they are striking back so hard these days

/living in upside down world

[spinbaby]

6. The 1:00 explosions are early today.

n/t

[BuckeFushe]

7. More than one

I'm glad they didn't pan down to his pants, probably stained.:)

[Rose Siding]

8. I don't know which reporter that was

but if some of them weren't there, we wouldn't know the little we do about what's happening. It must be a terrifying job to work.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Jim Maceda n/t

[Guaranteed]

10. They can't win this.

We need the UN in there NOW.

[David__77]

11. UN isn't answer.

I don't think an occupation doing the bidding of the Anglo-Americans with a globalist fig-leaf will be much better to the average Iraqi. I think the solution is the very speedy restoration of Iraqi sovereignty.

[NNN0LHI]

12. The UN wouldn't touch this mess with a ten foot pole even if they could nt

[BuckeFushe]

14. They are sidelining this one, with good reason

I guess the Thugs are wondering how they can spin "Bring it ON" now that it's backfired.

[rman]

20. simple: "bring it on? we never said that"

optional: "you have me mistaken for someone else"

looks like they are getting away quite easily with denying what they said yesterday.

[Aidoneus]

16. agreed

An occupation of Iraq by "blue hat" mercenaries and some combination of Koreans & Turks and other US lackeys shooting at Iraqis is no better than the very same recolonization/neolib economic model forced upon them by direct US/UK occupation forces and their lackeys. The problem is not solved by superficial & cosmetic alterations, no matter how appealing such misguided slogans may sound.

A study of the British occupation of Iraq in general and Nuri al-Said in particular gives a good idea at what the US has in mind here, and no "blue hat" mercenaries will derail that.

[Gloria]

50. Richard Holbrooke, Clinton's UN Amb., says NO BLUE HATS (UN)...

says the Norwegians have had a good relationship with Iraq and that Norway should round up various personnel and run the show...

UN is tainted because of sanctions.....(Holbrooke was on Charlie Rose weeks ago with this idea, I'm not sure if it was before the UN was blown up)

[regnaD kciN]

47. Except that...

...such a "speedy return" would likely result in a Shi'ite-based Islamic fundamentalist state that would be "hell on earth" for any Iraqi who is not a Shi'ite Islamic fundie, and that would probably be a new home for Islamic terror groups -- if not al-Qaeda (who are primarily Sunni), a not-too-different Shi'ite equivalent. It will be like the worst of Iran and Afghanistan rolled into one.

The problem is that the only way to have avoided this outcome would have been to not invade in the first place. Once Boy George got his war, "the toothpaste was out of the tube," and we can only choose between the lesser of several evils (none of which is all that much "lesser," and all of which are awful). Thanks, BFEE!

:grr:

[demdave]

13. The U.N. was there, then they tucked tail and ran.

They seem to have a pattern of that action.

[UpInArms]

15. responsibility without authority

has a tendency to make the intelligent depart

[colorado_ufo]

19. That should be chiseled in stone.

Thanks, UpInArms!

[Spazito]

18. Bull!

The US, by going unilaterally, sidelined the UN and were unable to protect any of the aid organizations so the UN was right to pull out their people. Bush said "Bring them on" and that is what has happened. To blame the UN for pulling out is disingenuous at best.

[Sideways]

27. Right That Post Is BullShit

Hold on DemDave giving all the responsibility to the UN WITHOUT giving it a damn bit of authority is so lame it doesn't need crutches it needs a fucking wheelchair.

This is not only a disingenuous argument it is just BULLSHIT.

I'm fucking shocked DD that you are seeing this in such a naive and frosty twisted twilight zone kind of haze.

What part of the US going in with guns blazing ALONE (also known as an unilateral approach) don't you understand?

Please no words about the coalition. There is NO fucking coalition when we are talking about this level of conflict.

Piddling troops from the Solomon Islands do not qualify.

[BuckeFushe]

29. Kerry made the best quote about the coalition

"There is a much cheaper way, less complicated way to bring Iraq and Saddam Hussein to its knees: it is simply to send the Bush economic team over there and let them run the country," Sen. John Kerry

[Spazito]

33. ROFL! That is a great line!

*

[BuckeFushe]

22. EXCUSE ME

They REFUSED to sanction Shrubs dirty little war, and that is evidence they tucked tail and ran?

[Aidoneus]

23. made some toothless visible motions about opposing the war

yet immediately voted in favour of the occupation of Iraq. What means more?

[Paschall]

32. "voted in favour of the occupation of Iraq" is a stretch

You better look at that Resolution again.

[Paschall]

31. You've said that before, demdave. And I take exception to that remark

You are still forgetting that the UN reps in Iraq were simply there providing aid and services to the Iraqis that they had provided for years. And never before had the UN by targetted by violence--until this fiasco.

Also the UN was there without official UN peacekeepers as security; in fact, security was extremely low at the UN headquarters in Baghdad.

Meanwhile, according to international law--and as confirmed by Kofi Annan and the Security Council--as the Occupying Power, WE are responsible for the welfare of the Iraqi citizens and others in Iraq, including UN representatives. Not to mention that the UN workers in Iraq are not paid to put their lives at that kind of risk.

So if the UN "tucked tail and ran" it was because we failed them. In other words, it would be nice if you'd stop bashing the UN for ShrubCo's failure.

[Bandit]

40. Kind of like the Red Cross huh?

Turn tail and run indeed. It seems to me they just went into several places in Africa to stop mass slaughter without the US. The US only goes where the oil is and the UN goes where people are hurting. They only ask that all countries contribute but does the US? Hell no. There is a Black man that is Leader of UN so no American help available. Should we bad mouth the Red Cross also. They didn't bring their troops with them to Iraq either and America won't/can't protect them.

[kayell]

44. Are you willing to put your life on the line in Baghdad?

Unless the answer is yes, I'm heading out with the next wave of troops, or yes, I just volunteered to do relief work, I don't think you have much room to criticize people who would rather stay alive.

[DuctapeFatwa]

17. Aren't these explosions under cover ban? MSNBC better watch its step

The penalty for defying cover ban is death.

[Panda1]

21. Apparently so....

...there's nothing anywhere else....no links...no breaking news anywhere that I can find so far. MSNBC has moved on to other stories.

[BuckeFushe]

28. I guess if explosions occuring while you are reporting are excused

if you are on the top of a building surrounded by guards and sandbags.

[Aidoneus]

30. in his defense,

When it happened, he was barking off the state's official propaganda like the good duckspeakers that press lackeys are.

[hail to the thief]

24. Does anybody know if there

has been an official press blackout in Iraq? This is ridiculous! there is absolutely nothing on tv about these daily attacks. It's like they're trying to make these attacks part of the tapestry of everyday life. Why am I reminded of Officer Barbrady of South Park fame? Nothing to see here people, move along now!

[bluestateguy]

25. MSNBC is talking about Prince Charles

:eyes:

We really need a network on TV that does nothing but cover the war. Some people just don't want to let go of the 90's I guess.

[tom_paine]

26. We are entering the Soviet Phase of Bushevik Occupation in Amerika

There was no explosion today. There has NEVER been any explosion in Baghdad.

I have no idea what you're talking about. Move on. Nothing to see here.

[UpInArms]

37. seems the blackout encompasses

some type of "shooting order" - (my words)

see:

http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2003-11/07/article08.shtml

U.S. Forces Open Fire On IOL Correspondent

BAGHDAD, November 7 (IslamOnline.net) - The U.S. occupation forces fired at an IslamOnline.net reporter while on duty taking photos at the scene of a Baghdad explosion Friday, November 7.

The shooting spree began when Imam El-Leithy and his aide rushed to the area where they have just heard the blast, some 500 meters nearby, on the highway of the western Baghdad neighborhood of Al- Ghazaliya.

"They deliberately opened fire on us in a quick succession," El-Leithy recalled, adding that U.S. armored vehicles litter the highway to provide protection for their patrols, regularly passing by.

...more...

[TolstoyAndy]

38. The liberals at NPR...

...which used to be proud to be known as "Managua on the Hudson" by the Reaganites, also doesn't see fit to mention it in the 12N (CST) newscast.

I tuned in this morning to find out about the Saudi attacks this weekend, they had about 5 minutes on it. Listened the whole 2 hours.

[northernsoul]

34. news watchers, any further word on this?

inquiring minds want to know

[Tatiana]

35. Does this have something to do with it?

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier with the 18th Military Police Brigade was killed Sunday night in a rocket-propelled-grenade attack in central Iraq, the Coalition Press Information Center said Monday.

The incident occurred about 7 p.m. (11 a.m. EST) west of Iskandariyah, about 40 miles south of Baghdad. The attack is under investigation.

The soldier was the 38th killed in November, and brings the number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war to 398. Since President Bush declared the end to major combat on May 1, 259 U.S. military members have been killed.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/10/sprj.irq.main/index.html

[htuttle]

36. No, other than it's the same war

That was 40 miles south of Baghdad. This was another big explosion right in Baghdad. This incident is probably some more mortars or rockets aiming for Proconsul Bremer's ass. Happens every day right around lunchtime (but was apparently early today).

[TacticalPeek]

39. News coverage of devastation in Iraq is a threat to US national security.

Because it sours the public's taste for cowboy wars, and puts at risk Shrub's election.

And defending national security trumps EVERYTHING, whether a free press, justice under the law, or free elections. Nixon taught us so.

[skip fox]

41. still no link???

n/t

[spinbaby]

42. Nothing to see here.

Move along.

[Barrett808]

43. Link: U.S. Soldier Killed, More Blasts Rock Baghdad

These might not be the same blasts...

U.S. Soldier Killed, More Blasts Rock Baghdad
Monday, November 10 2003 @ 01:03 PM Eastern Standard Time
Contributed by: Admin

BAGHDAD, November 10 (IOL) - One U.S. soldier was killed Sunday night, November 9, as U.S. forces went on the offensive over the past two days, shelling Iraqi homes and rounding up scores of Iraqis in a desperate bid to control the mounting Iraqi resistance.

More powerful explosions were heard in the Iraqi capital earlier Monday, November 10, and Sunday night on an almost nightly basis since the end of October.

...

Signaling the continued instability in postwar Iraq, more shuddering explosions were heard Monday and Sunday in Baghdad for the third consecutive day.

A strong explosion was heard in the Iraqi capital early Monday, believed to have targeted a U.S. convoy northwest of the city, eyewitnesses told IslamOnline.net.

On Sunday night, a series of blasts was also clearly heard in the Iraqi capital. It was not clear where the blasts occurred, but an eyewitness told IOL that the explosions were heard near the Green Zone in Baghdad, targeting the U.S. occupation forces' headquarters at the presidential compound.

Another eyewitness said that U.S. armored vehicles and patrols paced up and down the area of the Unknown Soldier, which leads to the presidential compound.

The headquarters came under a mortar attack by Iraqi fighters late Saturday night, according to police sources said.

http://www.turks.us/article.php?story=20031110130354538

[hang a left]

49. This can't be it cause when the explosion happened it was Monday

night there already.

[leftofthedial]

45. maybe I can help

"The troops have been complaining that they can't tell who the enemy is. "

Your enemy lives in the White House.

[bushisanidiot]

46. More Bad News. B-b-b-but the Power is on and little girls are going to

school.

how the hell can AWOL & Dr. Death 'Rummy' spin away all the bombing and death in bagdhad??? do they really think we're THAT stupid?

[hatrack]

48. Except for the little girls and boys kept at home by their parents

Because their parents don't want to take a chance of having them blown up by a car bomb, RPG attack or mortar round. Progress!!