WAR: Massive Explosion near a Contractor Hotel in Baghdad

Just in: A "large explosion" is reported from near a hotel in the Karadah district of Baghdad. The hotel mentioned in news reports of this event is reported to house several foreign contractors on various rebuilding projects inside Iraq. APnews Army Col. Ralph Baker of the 1st Armored Division said rescuers were still searching for victims in the Jabal Lebanon Hotel. He said foreigners were among the guests. Local resident Faleh Kalhan said Americans, Britons, Egyptians as well as other foreigners were staying at the hotel. www.CNN.com [Edited on 17-3-2004 by SkepticOverlord] [Edited on 18-3-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

Haven't seen an article on this yet, but Reuter's is saying that the Hotel was destroyed: The Baghdad Hotel. Did find this though (could be a prior picture of the Baghdad Hotel during or after the BAttle of Baghdad---not sure, will try to confirm):

leonsparx.zftp.com...

*EDIT* Removed picture cause it is bogus.



regards
seekerof

[Edited on 17-3-2004 by Seekerof]

Where did you get this story?...

watching pictures of it right now...looks very bad. they are assuming many casualities and that it was committed by Iraqi insurgents.

FOX is running with it now.
BTW, where was Peter Jenning's supposed to be staying at? Wasn't he in Baghdad?


seekerof

[Edited on 17-3-2004 by Seekerof]

Looks like all hell is breaking loose there. The building is completely gone...

A massive explosion shook the Karada district of Baghdad on Wednesday night.


www.cnn.com...

[Edited on 17-3-2004 by Jonna]

There is no way that was caused by an artillery shell as they are speculating. It not only destroyed the building and everything around it, but buildings surrounding are on fire.

It's called the Mt. Lebanon Hotel.

FOX is detailing that it was not The Baghdad Hotel, but the Mount Lebanon Hotel supposedly next to the Al-Jazeera offices....story is still being changed as more reports come in.

seekerof

The Baghdad-cam was down for a bit and has now been repositioned. I can't make much out of the image but it would be worth keeping an eye on.
Baghdad Cam Link

Camera back pointed back at the square, no longer at the scene of the blast, 1:25pm GMT -5

[Edited on 17-3-2004 by Spectre]

Is this where all the reporters stay in baghdad? or is that the baghdad hotel?

CNN just said the blast was near the Lebanon motel. Looks like the explosion wasn't centered anywhere, but it's hard to tell...

The Mt. Lebanon Hotel was the target, they are suggesting car bomb. It is near the Palestine and Baghdad hotel but neither of those hotels were affected with the exception of feeling and hearing the blast. It is being reported that it is not a hotel in which many western journalists stay at.

They are saying that foriegn contractors were in the motel. I wonder what this will do for reconstruction efforts...

A crater about 20 feet across and 10 feet deep was blown out of the road outside the hotel.

Sounds like another car bomb. At least 10 are coinfirmed dead.

Source Article
Associated Press


[Edited on 17-3-2004 by dbates]

You know this must be huge, we don't normally get a last minute news conference from the white house when an attack like this occurs. Makes me believe it is very big, maybe more so than we realize yet.

The death toll is now at 27, and is expected to rise...

www.foxnews.com...

Strange thought!

With the explosion in Baghdad and in Miami, I thought that I would check if there were any other today and found this:

Iranians celebrate fire festival
Iranians danced in the street, threw firecrackers and jumped over bonfires Tuesday night as authorities openly tolerated an ancient fire festival for the first time in 25 years.

Halted each year since the 1979 Islamic revolution because hardliners considered it un-Islamic, the Chaharshanbeh Suri, or Red Wednesday, festival was officially recognized in Tehran where the city council set aside dozens of parks for people to enjoy the boisterous celebrations.

www.cnn.com...

Edit: I am not saying that it is related or anything, but it is interesting.

[Edited on 17-3-2004 by Jonna]

I got a real bad feeling about this.

"U.S. contractors working on reconstruction projects" = Halliburton Kellogg/Brown & Root. KBR.