Rockets or mortars hit Green Zone (breaking)

[marmar]

from AP, via Yahoo!:



Iraq: rockets or mortars hit Green Zone



BAGHDAD - A series of rockets or mortars were fired toward the U.S.-protected Green Zone early Saturday, a day after radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army militia fighters to cease attacks for another six months.

Nearly 10 blasts were heard in the sprawling area in central Baghdad starting about 6:15 a.m., and the U.S. public address system there warned people to "duck and cover" and to stay away from windows.

Maj. Brad Leighton, a U.S. military spokesman, confirmed the Green Zone was hit by indirect fire, the military's term for a rocket or mortar attack, but could not immediately provide more details.

The U.S. military blamed what it calls Iranian-backed Shiite militias for a series of deadly rocket attacks in Baghdad earlier this week, including one against U.S. outposts in Baghdad that wounded three American soldiers.

Another struck Camp Victory, the main U.S. military headquarters, and an Iraqi housing complex on the capital's southwestern outskirts on Monday, killing at least five people and wounding 16, including two U.S. soldiers. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080223/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_green_zone

[Canuckistanian]

1. How can you be "hit" by "indirect fire"?

Seems to me that if you're hit, it would be fairly "direct".

[billyoc]

2. Yes, it all sound so subtle, like a light sun shower

but of molten metal that kills you. :grr:

[RoyGBiv]

3. No line-of-sight ...

Just means there's no direct line-of-site between the attacker and the target, or the attacker is firing from a position where the target can't possibly be seen.

[Canuckistanian]

6. Ah, I see

Still, the target was hit. I'd call it a "lucky shot".

[HuffleClaw]

4. "duck and cover"

seriously? did BERT THE TURTLE make the announcement?

[snot]

5. That's the only downside of building a US embassy at least 15X the size of the Iraqi Parliament.

This is somewhat dated, but most of it including the pic has a batting average vastly better than most pundits':

http://c-cyte.blogspot.com/2007/08/three-things-to-remember.html

[ThomWV]

7. In a war you are winning your enemy can not fire on you at will.