A bomb exploded Thursday outside an Iraqi hotel used as the Baghdad headquarters for NBC News, killing a hotel employee and slightly injuring a Canadian who works with the network. The bomb was hidden just outside the al-Aike Hotel in a small hut housing an industrial power generator. The explosion blew out all of the windows on that side of the building and sent debris hurtling through the hotel’s atrium. A hotel employee from Somalia, who was sleeping in the lobby next to the wall where the bomb was placed, was killed. Canadian David Moodie, a sound technician who worked for the CBC in Ottawa and London before moving to NBC eight years ago, was injured in the explosion, suffering cuts to his arm and scalp. "I was awake," Moodie said. "A chest of drawers in the room fell on me. I sleep in the room immediately above the generator, so I guess I was lucky." Moodie was one of 12 NBC employees inside the building when the explosion occurred. He said all journalists know of the dangers in Iraq but never expect anything to happen to them. "Lying in your hotel room, you think ’I’m in my hotel bed. I’m safe, I’m cool."
"Mini-bar close at hand.. it’s all good."
The hotel’s only guests are journalists from NBC News. Iraqi police said it’s the first time foreign journalists have been directly targeted in an attack, but U.S military officials said it was too early to say if NBC had been the target.
[Insert NBC joke here]
"Well first of all we’re very sad that somebody died, otherwise I think it’s a wake up call for all journalists," NBC producer Yuval Leon said. "I don’t know if we were targeted because we’re journalists, its too early to say. We know the dangers of coming out here before we go, but you don’t think it’s going to happen to you."
Brings back memories of that incident during the battle for Baghdad. I wonder who they’ll blame this time. |