FNC reporter Rick Leventhal, whom I have had tremendous respect for on many levels since his reporting from Ground Zero on 9-11 and in his ensuing embedment with the Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom (his back-and-forth with Shep Smith about the indignities of life in the desert just wrapped it all up with a bow for me--to keep your perspective and sense of humor in, quite literally, the middle of a war was incredibly impressive) is back in Baghdad. And he's bringing his same cool perspective, right in the belly of the insurgents' 24/7 artillery party. Check out his latest reporter's notebook:
We often hear gunfire outside the Baghdad bureau, usually at night. Sometimes it's just a shot or two, other times it lasts for 20 or 30 seconds — multiple rounds from a heavy weapon.
We also hear explosions, but usually just one at a time, far enough away that they just sound like muffled booms.
This morning though, I was up early, and at around 8 a.m., I heard a rapid succession of blasts that sounded closer than usual. This was no car bomb or roadside IED, I decided. They were multiple explosions in a short period of time, perhaps within ten seconds.
I scanned the horizon but saw no signs of smoke or fire, and heard no sirens or calls for help. Perhaps it wasn't an attack? Perhaps it wasn't as close as I'd thought?
A couple of hours later, in the office, I found out what happened. It was apparently a rocket or mortar attack that fell just short of one of the high concrete walls ringing the Green Zone, where many U.S. and coalition forces, diplomats, contractors and top Iraqi politicians live and work.
There were three blasts in the street, killing seven Iraqi civilians and wounding eight others. Three of the people hurt worked at the Iraqi Defense Ministry nearby.
There were eight other mortars or rockets that apparently exploded at the same time on the other side of the Tigris River, that hit no targets and hurt no one. These, I think, were what I heard.
Who is firing mortars or rockets in broad daylight? I wondered. Why didn't anyone see them, or if they did, why didn't anyone do anything to stop them? Unfortunately, this kind of thing is happening all too often here.
Perhaps with the new government taking shape, a new attitude and strength will infuse the powers that be, and the people on the street. Maybe it's the beginning of the end for the insurgents and terrorists disrupting daily life here. That's what a lot of people are hoping.
