Rockets Drive Wolfowitz From Baghdad Hotel

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031026/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=1480

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. occupation authority retreated from its headquarters Sunday after Iraqi insurgents, using a "science project" of a rocket launcher, attacked the heavily guarded hotel with a missile barrage that killed an American colonel, wounded 18 other people and sent the visiting deputy defense secretary scurrying for safety.

Paul Wolfowitz, the shaken-looking but unhurt Pentagon deputy, said the strike against the Al Rasheed Hotel, from nearly point-blank range, "will not deter us from completing our mission" in Iraq.

But the bold blow at the heart of the U.S. presence here clearly rattled U.S. confidence that it is defeating Iraq's shadowy insurgents.

"We'll have to get the security situation under control," Secretary of State Colin Powell told NBC's "Meet the Press."

more

[grasswire]

1. say what?

Earlier reports said he looked "calm". Get it straight, willya?

[KeepItReal]

4. He gave a speech after the attack...

Sounded like the scared little sh*t that he really is. Voice was all wobbly.

Too bad good troops had to die and be wounded to get this fool to show some humanity. It won't last, of course.

[never cry wolf]

2. It's probably just as well...

...I hear that the quality of the serivces provided and the hired help has really fallen as of late and no longer befits what is deserved by an emissary from the emperor.

[UpInArms]

3. gosh - is Powell saying that things are not going

so swimmingly wonderful and double good?

why it was just last month that he said

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/09/14/cnna.powell.baghdad/

POWELL: No. And, you know, we ought to stop with these rather bizarre historical allusions back to something that happened 25, 30 years ago. Let's deal with the facts on the ground and where we are now.

We have removed a dictatorial regime. There will be no more mass graves. These people will no longer be oppressed. We're restoring the basic services that the society needs, electricity, water, sewage.

Everybody is eating. Everybody now has access to health care. The universities are open, the schools are being opened. Security is slowly being re-established.

Yes, it's a little unstable in the central part of the country. We are taking casualties. We regret each and every one. But we knew it would be difficult, and we are encouraging more and more people to contribute to our work here. And from what I have seen here over the last several hours, just in the last several hours, listening to Ambassador Bremer and his people, General Abizaid, General , and their staff, but more importantly, speaking to Iraqis, the Governing Council, new ministers have been appointed and other Iraqis I have spoken to and look forward to speaking to this afternoon, there's a sense of hope here even in this time of difficulty.

And those who are so critical of the administration might want to hold their fire a bit. They may also resemble those who were so critical of the way the war was being fought the first few days of the war.

well, what's a few casualties to him? Obviously, not much :mad:

(edited to add link)

[fishnfla]

5. Wolfie gets to leave, our troops have to stay

it should be the other way around

[Liberal Veteran]

6. And here I thought it took holy water and crucifixes to drive him away...

:)

[jokerman93]

7. Well I suppose this is where

the administration starts easing the American public into the new normal of an extended and highly destructive war. They have to admit things suck sooner or later.

We can forget about using any of the $87bn for rebuilding Iraq since Iraq has been selected as the Middle East front on the new war against all opposers!

[madrchsod]

8. sounds like nam to me

all the fuck`n body counts ,everything is fine,we are winning,regime change..then tet and the whole fuck`n war blew up in their face...

[Scott Lee]

9. 50 bucks says Paulie stumbled from the news conference and had a breakdown

Man, he looked like death warmed over in that hasty news conference. You could definitely tell he just had his shit stirred.

Regardless of all the bravado, all the "we will not be moved" malarky, I'd bet money that he disappeared from the cameras into some very private moments and curled up on the floor in a feotal position, crying like a child and shaking in a puddle of his own piss.

This experience will be good for him.

[Pale_Rider]

10. Bring em on ...

... and they are!

[jonoboy]

11. a taste for him

of what Iraqi citizens put up with every day.