Deadly Blast at Bagram Base as Cheney Visits

Deadly Blast at Bagram Base as Cheney Visits

Source Link: www.reuters.com

KABUL (Reuters) - A blast near the gates of the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, where Vice President Dick Cheney is visiting, killed several people on Tuesday, a witness said.

The cause of the explosion outside Bagram airbase, 60 km (40 miles) north of Kabul was not immediately known. Cheney stayed at the base overnight after planned talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai were delayed by weather.

"The Vice President is fine," spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Related News Links:
news.bbc.co.uk

The BBC link is now updated with further information.

Mr Cheney, on an unannounced visit to the region, was staying at the Bagram base, 60km (40 miles) from Kabul, but was safely inside at the time.

The US military said the bomber was also killed in the blast, but earlier reports said at least 18 died.

A Taleban spokesman phoned the BBC to say his group carried out the attack.

A US spokesman described it as a "direct attack" on the base, which was put on red alert for a while. One US soldier and one other coalition soldier were among the dead. Base operations commander Lt-Col James Bonner said the bomber could not have got inside the base.

"Our security measures were in place and the killer never had access to the base," he said, quoted by AFP news agency.

"When he realised he would not be able to get onto the base he attacked the local population."

I doubt he knew Cheney was there.

Oops sorry, I'm late

[edit on 27-2-2007 by Xeros]

Originally posted by Xeros
Sorry khunmoon, I posted it here already

Check the timestamp, xeros....


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looks like they missed.

Would have been no great loss, imo.

[edit on 2/27/2007 by Mechanic 32]

Please Stay On Topic

[edit on 27-2-2007 by DontTreadOnMe]

Originally posted by Mechanic 32

Originally posted by Xeros
Sorry khunmoon, I posted it here already

Check the timestamp...

looks like they missed.

Would have been no great loss, imo.

Ya, I just edited sorry for the mistake.

lik the news just to blow the situation of of context. cheney would never be in trouble from things like this.

dirty_underground was first on this I think. Ya, sorry for coming in late though.


[edit on 27-2-2007 by Xeros]

It was a car bomb that exploded outside the base, and Cheney was never in any danger.

But the objective was never to kill Cheney in the first place. It was to send a message to the West that the Taliban is there to stay. This is the same strategy that has been used by al Qaeda in Iraq. They want this sort of stuff to be broadcast by the MSM as a demoralization tactic. The public will view this as a show of strength from the terrorists; that is what they count on happening.

They still claim it to be a suicide bomber, but the reports are conflicting as for the number of causualties and who the bomb was aimed at.

The Guardian now claims it was aimed at Cheney.

The Taliban said it was responsible for the explosion at the entrance to the Bagram base, which it said had targeted the US vice-president. Mr Cheney is in Afghanistan for talks with the president, Hamid Karzai.
[....]

There were conflicting reports of the death toll. The provincial governor, Abdul Jabar Taqwa, said 20 people had been killed. Nato, however, said three had died: a US soldier, a South Korean coalition soldier and a contractor for the US government whose nationality was not known. Nato said 27 people had been wounded.

[ed to add]
How would Taliban now Cheney was there?




[edit on 27-2-2007 by khunmoon]

Mr Cheney, on an unannounced visit to the region

Unannounced??
Taliban are ready when he gets there, but just miss

Can we spell, Taliban spies in unusual places??

Originally posted by khunmoon
They still claim it to be a suicide bomber, but the reports are conflicting as for the number of causualties and who the bomb was aimed at.

The Guardian now claims it was aimed at Cheney.

The Taliban said it was responsible for the explosion at the entrance to the Bagram base, which it said had targeted the US vice-president. Mr Cheney is in Afghanistan for talks with the president, Hamid Karzai.
[....]

There were conflicting reports of the death toll. The provincial governor, Abdul Jabar Taqwa, said 20 people had been killed. Nato, however, said three had died: a US soldier, a South Korean coalition soldier and a contractor for the US government whose nationality was not known. Nato said 27 people had been wounded.

Of course they will say that Cheney was the target. But not the physical target; the psy-ops target. Cheney was at least 300 yards away from the blast; news reports have stated that he didn't even hear it.

How would Taliban now Cheney was there?

Well, I have known, since yesterday, thanks to Fox News. And from Fox News I also know that his next stop is going to be to visit Karzai.

Fox news announced Cheney were to stay at the Bagram airbase?

I don't think so.

I'll join in with Ex:

Can we spell, Taliban spies in unusual places??

Originally posted by khunmoon
Fox news announced Cheney were to stay at the Bagram airbase?

I don't think so.

I'll join in with Ex:

Can we spell, Taliban spies in unusual places??

Uh, there are only so many secure places to stay over there. I don't think he'd check into the local HOJO's....

OOoh, I thought about adding that, there's other places secure he could have stayed. Like the heavily fortified Amarican Embassy or the dozen or more other US instalations around Kabul.

But to figure out where he would stay was really piece of cake.

Halliburton's KB&R build the Bagram base.

Originally posted by khunmoon
OOoh, I thought about adding that, there's other places secure he could have stayed. Like the heavily fortified Amarican Embassy or the dozen or more other US instalations around Kabul.

I don't think Air Force 2 could land or take off from an embassy..

Here is some Aftermath video dont show much tho

Originally posted by Mechanic 32

Originally posted by Xeros
Sorry khunmoon, I posted it here already

Check the timestamp, xeros....


--------

looks like they missed.

Would have been no great loss, imo.

[edit on 2/27/2007 by Mechanic 32]

WOW! Great post jack@$$ Shows a lot of intellect and character! Maybe you should go over there and see if they miss!


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[edit on 27-2-2007 by DontTreadOnMe]

Here's further reports on the suicide bombing near the base Cheney was visiting
news.bbc.co.uk...

www.guardian.co.uk...

Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a purported Taliban spokesman, confirmed that Mr Cheney had been the target of the attack, which he said had been carried out by Mullah Abdul Rahim.

"We knew that Dick Cheney would be staying inside the base," Mr Ahmadi told the Associated Press.

US Major William Mitchell questioned that claim, pointing out that Mr Cheney's overnight stay had happened only after a meeting with Mr Karzai was cancelled because of bad weather.

"I think it's a far-fetched allegation," he said. "The vice president wasn't even supposed to be here overnight, so this would have been a surprise to everybody."

Whatever! I consider myself warned. He probably makes a post that the FBI would be interested in seeing.

Originally posted by Mechanic 32
looks like they missed.

Would have been no great loss, imo.

Regarding the comments I had left here earlier today...

I am truly sorry for the lives that had been lost due to this act of senseless violence.

My comments here were in bad taste.

I do not wish any kind if harm to ANY human being, including Mr. Cheney.

I am also sorry for any emotions I have stirred up by making those thoughtless comments.




Mechanic 32