Blast at U.S. Base in Mosul
December 22nd, 2004
The details are here, but in short, as many as 24 people are dead, perhaps 19 of them U.S. soldiers, killed in a mess tent explosion. The area was populated by U.S. servicemen, civilian contractors, and Iraqi soldiers. 57 were also wounded in the blast. Earlier reports put the incident down as a suicide bombing, but now the military spokespeople are leaning more toward “indirect fire,” in short, a mortar attack or missile. But the holes caused by shrapnel are “uniform,” suggesting ball bearings or other regular-sized shrapnel within the bomb.
More details as they come–but without doubt, this is not the last we’re hearing of this. It may in fact be another escalation.