A group of militants in Iraq have detonated a massive car bomb in front of the Baghdad UN compound earlier today. There have been at least 10 fatalities confirmed so far, and the UN representative Sergio Vieira de Mello has been "seriously hurt" and is trapped somewhere in the rubble.
There were nearly 300 UN personnel in the building at the time. The bomb was a massive truck bomb that shattered windows over a kilometer away.
The Command Post is following the story closely. More on the story as it develops.
UPDATE: The death toll is at 15. The President just spoke. He looked calm yet very determined to take these groups out. Hopefully this will get the international community on their feet and in support of stabilizing Iraq. Then again, knowing the kind of mindless opposition we’ve seen on the part of many countries it’s entirely possible that they’ll blame all this on the US rather than the terrorists who actually did this.
UPDATE: Sergio Vieira de Mello has died in the rubble of the former hotel.
Is the international community AGAINST stabilizing Iraq? What consititutes “getting on their feet” and didn’t the U.S. turn down help from the U.N.? If we want to go it alone, then we have to. If we only agree to accept help from countries on our own terms, what can we expect? You can’t have it both ways.
Countries like India have refused to send even so much as peacekeeping forces to Iraq despite the invitation to do so. That sort of action only hurts the Iraqi people. The war is over, and the world should get over it and start helping in the reconstruction effort.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but as I recall the Indians wanted the UN in Iraq as a prerequisite. Turning the UN down was the same as turning the Indians down.