Baghdad Green Zone sees spike in mortars, rockets

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

Baghdad Green Zone sees spike in mortars, rockets

BAGHDAD, March 28 (Reuters) - Insurgents have stepped up rocket and mortar attacks on Baghdad's international Green Zone where most Iraqi government offices and the U.S. embassy are located, a senior U.S. military spokesman said on Wednesday.

Rear Admiral Mark Fox said nine people were wounded and two killed in three mortar or rocket strikes in three days from March 25. On Tuesday a U.S. contractor and a U.S. soldier were killed, and one U.S. state department employee was wounded.

~snip~

Fox said that while the total number of indirect fire attacks in March was on a trend to be lower than in recent months, there appeared to be a change in targets.

"It's clear that there has been increasing targeting (of) attacks against the international zone," Fox told a news conference in Baghdad. Asked if any particular group was responsible, Fox said they came from various sources.

"We're obviously taking some very careful steps and also scrutinising the points of origin and the nature of any of the patterns," he said.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PAR854395.htm

[acmavm]

1. What's the truth about what happened to Camp Falcon dammit.

[bemildred]

2. What he doesn't say is that it is now safe to do so.

One wonders if this is related to the downing of Helos, and a consequent decline in air support etc.

[donsu]

3. this is the first report I've seen that tells the truth about the attacks

on the green zone. all other reports ALWAYS say the attacks did 'little damage'

[LiberalFighter]

4. Calling McCain... Calling McCain... It's safe to walk in Baghdad

[ixion]

5. yep, getting better every day... looks more and more like Detroit or Chicago

yep. :sarcasm:

[endarkenment]

6. Baghdad Green Zone sees surge in mortars, rockets

It's a surge not a spike. Or maybe its an escalation?

[montanacowboy]

7. But John McCain said we need to get up to speed

things are great; Gen. Petraeus walks around Baghdad every day, no armor or anything; imagine, how great things are

stop reading through the media filter....right McCain you piece of human garbage

[lebkuchen]

8. I look forward to McCain's stroll down Baghdad's main street

with Michael Ware.

[mikeytherat]

9. My bro-in-law is the DCO (Deputy Commanding Officer) at Camp Victory

I have two pics from his recent birthday celebration. The first one is he and a few of his men eating cake in their conference room, deep inside the Green Zone. The second pic is from two hours later, after the same room had been blasted by mortars. Timing, it seems, is everything.

mikey_the_rat

[tanyev]

12. Yikes. Hope everyone was OK.

[mikeytherat]

16. Everyone was OK - no one was near the room when the mortars hit.

Had anyone been in the room, the injuries would have been severe (mostly from the flying glass shards).

mikey_the_rat

[LynnTheDem]

10. But bush & McCain say Americans can "stroll in Baghdad".

Guess they're spewing out their arses again, huh.

[ShortnFiery]

11. Whaat? There's trouble in the Paradise of Baghdad. Call General Peaches on the Bat Phone! n/t

[Doctor_J]

13. Mortar attacks are pretty hard to contain, I think

they sort of drop almost vertically on their targets. It's hard to tell where they came from and they're pretty quiet.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. I think they mean freedom rockets and liberty mortats. Man, talk about glass

half empty.

[Roland99]

15. Great to see The Surge suppressing the violence in Baghdad!! Woo hoo!!

Oh wait...