BAGHDAD, March 27 (Reuters) - A giant column of black smoke was visible near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone on Thursday after an apparent mortar strike, a Reuters reporter said.

The blast struck near a former palace of Saddam Hussein that has been used as the headquarters for hundreds of U.S. civilian and military personnel in Iraq. Embassy officials were not immediately available for comment.
bob | 03.27.08 - 6:50 am | #

BAGHDAD, March 27 (Reuters) - Saboteurs blew up one of Iraq's two main oil export pipelines in southern Iraq on Thursday, a Southern Oil Company official told Reuters.

The attack came on the third day of an Iraqi military operation against fighters loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al- Sadr in the oil port of Basra. The pipeline was attacked 7 km south of Basra. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

"This morning saboteurs blew up the pipeline transporting crude from Zubair 1 by placing bombs beneath it. The pipeline was severely damaged," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Crude exports will be greatly affected because this is one of two main pipelines transporting crude to the southern terminals. We will lose about a third of crude exported through Basra," he said.
bob | 03.27.08 - 6:51 am | #

Raw Footage of, 10 mortar attacks hit Baghdad’s Green Zone
An estimated 10 mortar attacks were launched at the Green Zone in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Thursday at 16.00.

http://www.liveleak.com/view? i=d...=dab_1195753388
Anonymous | 03.27.08 - 7:09 am | #

Likely explanation for the obvious intense fire in the video is that the attack hit an oil supply pipeline for the U.S. "embassy." That was reported by KUNA.

Also, reports that a U.S. FOB in Baghdad was mortared. No word yet from the U.S. on this. While all this is going on, fighting in the Sunni Arab heartland continues, by the way.
cervantes | Homepage | 03.27.08 - 8:42 am | #

This morning, NPR said that McCain claims we need to listen to what other countries have to say and work with them.

Last weekend, Cheney said "SO?" to the idea that 70% of Americans want our troops out of Iraq. McCain wants to stay in Iraq also.

Now, if the Republicans won't listen to Americans, why would they listen to the rest of the world?
Susan | Homepage | 03.27.08 - 9:13 am | #