BAGHDAD (Oct. 24) — A series of massive explosions hit Baghdad
at sunset this evening. The explosions are now reported to have
been two car bombs and, for good measure, a cement truck filled
with explosives! They were detonated right in front of the
Palestine Hotel where many in the media are housed. The AP and
others were notified ahead of time so that they could focus their
cameras on the event and record it for history.
Given the front row seats the media occupied for this latest
terrorist extravaganza, the TV footage was on the air
instantaneously. Anyone who witnessed the explosions seen on TV
will have to admit the terrorists did put on quite a show.
Casualty reports were slow to filter out but, as I write, the
number of dead is reported to be 10. The third of the three
explosions took place in the familiar surroundings of the Saddam
statue that was hauled down April 9, 2003.
At the moment of the largest explosion I was sitting in a
meeting in our offices about a half mile away. The sound and the
concussion were literally breathtaking! I have not seen any damage
to our place yet, but our neighbors across the street lost a few
windows. The glaziers of Baghdad must love those terrorists!
The subject of the meeting I was attending was closely related
to the war and to the reconstruction. One of our contractors, who
is working on one of many jobs for which I have written proposals,
was kidnapped from inside his home early one evening several days
ago. The kidnappers, dressed as Iraqi police (their favorite
disguise), arrived in a police SUV. They first beat up the
contractor’s 80-year-old mother, bound and gagged her, and locked
her in a room.
Before rushing off the kidnappers stole all the money and gold
in the house, demanded the key to the late model European car,
threw the blindfolded victim into the trunk, and sped off.
The kidnappers were heard from the next morning. “Negotiations”
are underway. I will not report on anything that has been demanded
or on where things stand. Suffice it to say that anytime someone is
kidnapped in Baghdad the eventual outcome is unknowable.
People I know say the fact the kidnappers engaged in such a
stealing spree shows this is basically a “financial caper.” But who
is to say that bunch of killers wouldn’t dream of taking a moment
from their grisly work to steal lots of cash and gold? After all,
this is how they finance their operations and all their murder
sprees.
In our company, we are particularly cautious because one of the
things the kidnappers never leave behind is the victim’s cell
phone. That is always a rich source of information and phone
numbers that can be used to seek new victims or to help in the
ransom negotiations.
This is the second of our contractors to be kidnapped in the
past three weeks. The previous victim was a woman in her mid-40s
who has her own company. She was kidnapped in front of her house by
a gang of between 10 to 12 terrorists. They first beat up her
husband and young son who were standing with her, then fled in a
get-away car that was in front of the house next door.
The kidnappers held her for 13 days before releasing her for a
ransom I have heard of $200,000. Before dumping her out of a moving
car, the “insurgents” (as the MSM refer to terrorists) broke most
of her ribs with a baseball bat. Since that didn’t seem to satisfy
them, they also broke many of the bones in her face with the same
bat.
Never let it be said that these Islamists are savages, because
we must never forget that one man’s savage is another man’s
“freedom fighter.”
