Salon: Suicide bomber probably caused Iraq blast, Myers says

[politicat]

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/12/22/bomber/index.html

<-- snip -->
Dec. 22, 2004  |  Washington -- A suicide bomber was the likely cause of the explosion at a U.S. base in Iraq that killed 22 people, the Pentagon's top general said Wednesday.
''At this point, it looks like it was an improvised explosive device worn by an attacker,'' Gen. Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.


The dining hall explosion happened while hundreds of troops were eating lunch Tuesday at Forward Operating Base Marez near the northern city of Mosul. Military officials initially cast doubt on the idea that a suicide bomber had been the cause, saying a 122mm rocket was the likely cause.


Myers declined to say what evidence showed the attack was a suicide bomb rather than a rocket attack.

Military officials in Iraq on Wednesday said shrapnel from the explosion included small ball bearings, which are often used in suicide bombings but are not usually part of the shrapnel given off by rockets or mortars.

<-- snip -->

Editorial comment: sounds somewhat more like creative uses of claymores. Missing 350 tons, anyone?

[Malva Zebrina]

1. Something happened

that is for sure, but I do not believe a word that comes out of our military or out of the Penatagon or out of the White House.

They are all proven liars.

[politicat]

2. I'm interested in how this is going to spin.

I know better than to believe that we're ever going to get the truth, but ....

Pcat

[tridim]

3. "suicide bomber" sounds much worse than "a mortar attack"

in the psyops game. They're lying, no doubt about it. The first reports were all a mortar or rocket attack.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Interesting that they could infiltrate a military base so easily.

It's like elmer fudd goes to Baghdad. The Iraqis must be laughing their asses off at the stupidity of the american military.

[StopDiggingTheHole]

10. "the stupidity of the american military"

What possible good could come from such an uninformed remark like that?

[Robbien]

11. You say you do not judge, but here you are once again judging

You have stated you don't push your opinion on others, but you clearly are doing so here.

StopDiggingTheHole, stop digging the hole.

[The_Casual_Observer]

12. I call em like I see em

What proof do you have that they aren't stupid?

BTW, you sound like an ass.

[girl gone mad]

16. Our military leaders can do no wrong.

Just stick your fingers in your ears, shut your eyes, and repeat that a few thousand times. Meanwhile, our soldiers are getting killed and injured at an ever increasing pace. Halliburton and Exxon-Mobil get rich, middle class America gets poor and nothing gets accomplished.

But, hey, let's not criticize, let's just keep pouring money and lives down the drain.

[TahitiNut]

18. "uninformed"??? Pot meet kettle.

:eyes:

[bobbyboucher]

5. "Suicide bomber" sells much better than "rocket attack", a

rocket attack sounds too much like we are fighting a war against a real insurgency. Suicide bomber sounds like "crazy dead-enders". It's much easier to spin.

[truthisfreedom]

6. i heard an interview on NPR today and the soldier said he saw a fireball

between the ceiling and the floor. does that sound like a suicide bomber to you?
i think they should have stuck with the rocket story. not only does the story change sound suspicious, it makes them look inept for having bad security.

[TalkingDog]

9. The hubby sez it was a Halliburton Employee

Or an Iraqi soldier.

Either way the security looks like crap.

[Sterling]

7. Actually it was reported yesterday by the insurgents suposedly....

While the western media was saying mortar attack the group responsible supposedly posted on the Internet it was a suicide attack.

I guess it shows us who has more credibility.

[politicat]

14. Groups claim responsibility all the time.

Doesn't mean they a) did it, b) got the facts straight or c) had any involvement whatsoever.

Changing the story this way is not making for much in the way of credibility, either, though.

Pcat

[Javaman]

8. What scares me about this story is...

1)the bomber had to know what time the soldiers were eating

2)the bomber had to know where it was happening

3)the bomber had to have knowledge of the lay out of the compound

4)and lastly, the bomber had to have the knowledge and know how to get past the various levels of security.

This scares the shit out of me, why? Because it appears that in the middle of a combat zone, the military security sucks. Plain and simple. This action will embolden the rebels. Expect more.

[diamond14]

13. from the base Chaplain: FOUR MORTARS hit the base (link)

someone had to TELL THE TRUTH...and it is the base chaplain that did it....clearly, FOUR mortars/missiles hit...the main one hit the mess hall, then three more

-snip-

"Regardless of what some may say, these are not stupid people. Any attack with casualties will naturally mean that eventually a very large number of care givers will be concentrated in one location. They took full advantage of that. In the middle of the mayhem the first mortar round hit about 100 to 200 meters away. Everyone started shouting to get the wounded into the hospital which is solid concrete and much safer than being in the open. Soon, the next mortar hit quite a bit closer than the first as they "walked" their rounds toward their intended target...us. Everyone began to rush toward the building. I stood at the door shoving as many people inside as I could. Just before heading in myself, the last one hit directly on top of the hospital. I was standing next to the building so was shielded from any flying shrapnel. In fact, the building, being built as a bunker took the hit with little effect. However, I couldn't have been more than 10 to 15 meters from the point of impact and brother did I feel the shock. That'll wake you up! I rushed inside to find doctors and nurses draped over patients, others on the floor or under something. I ducked low and quickly moved as far inside as I could."



sadly, the responses to this blog are freeper "God sent us to KILL them" stuff....
http://chaplain.blogspot.com/2004/12/mascal.html

[TheKingfish]

15. He's not even talking about the initial attack

He is talking about a follow up attack on the hospital where the casualties were evacuated.

[truthisfreedom]

17. oh God, what a nightmare. the hospital was attacked too?

bush, bush, bush. whatever can we do about you?

[ilovenicepeople]

19. I heard a mention on the radio of another possible scenario

I do know from past episodes like this that we are probably not hearing the truth once again.The report on the radio whether or not it's true (but worth mentioning?) is that a Mercedes SUV laden with exploseves drove on to base without being stopped and drove into the mess hall(tent)and detenated himself (casualties much higher) and that the sanatized photo's that were released right away were supposedly shots of a drill and not the real event hence the no visable gore in the photos.
I just thought I would mention this, I have no clue to what actually happened there ?