Polish Ambassador To Iraq Hurt By Bombing
The Polish ambassador to Iraq was slightly wounded and two people, a Polish body guard and an Iraqi civilian, were killed in a roadside bomb attack Wednesday, according to Polish government officials.
Gen. Edward Pietrzyk was treated for burns, according to Deputy Ambassador Waldemar Figaj, who spoke to The Associated Press from the hospital in Baghdad's Green Zone.
"He is going to be fine," Figaj said of the ambassador.
A civilian passer-by died after at least two roadside bombs were detonated about 10 a.m., according to an Iraqi police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. A Polish security guard, believed to be Pietrzyk's driver, died at the hospital a short time later, said Robert Szaniawski, a spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry.
At least 11 people, including three security guards with the convoy, also were wounded in the attack in Karradah in downtown Baghdad, police said. The guards worked for Poland's Government Protection Office, which is responsible for the security of Polish officials in Iraq, the agency's spokesman Dariusz Aleksandrowicz told the AP.
In other developments:
Szaniawski said the attack, which took place a few hundred meters from the Polish Embassy, seemed to target the ambassador.
"We still don't have the reasons for the attack," he said, adding that the embassy is not in the Green Zone.
U.S. authorities confiscated an AP Television News videotape that contained scenes of the wounded being evacuated. U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl told AP the government of Iraq had made it illegal to photograph or videotape the aftermath of bombings or other attacks.
U.S. officials said Blackwater USA flew the ambassador to the Green Zone for treatment.
Poland's Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Wednesday's attack would, in no way, weaken his countrymen's resolve to fight terrorism in Iraq.
"Backing out before terrorists is the worst possible solution and I trust that the Poles, who are a brave nation, will not desert the battle field," he said. "We must fight terrorism and that entails a certain risk."
U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and U.S. Commander Gen. David Petraeus issued a joint statement condemning the attack.
"Poland has been a strong and steadfast ally here and around the world, and we commend its commitment to a stable and secure Iraq," the brief statement said. "We stand ready to provide any additional assistance we can."
U.S. Army and Iraqi troops sealed off al-Arasaat street where the attack took place. "Little Bird" helicopters, the type used by Blackwater USA, were seen flying above the bombing site and U.S. officials confirmed the North Carolina-based company flew the ambassador to the Green Zone for treatment.
Blackwater has an estimated 1,000 employees in Iraq, and at least $800 million in government contracts. It is one of the most high-profile security firms in Iraq, with its fleet of "Little Bird" helicopters and armed door gunners swarming Baghdad and beyond.
Despite Blackwater's role in rescuing the Polish Ambassador today, CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports that the drama was barely over when Prime Minister Maliki announced that as far as he was concerned, Blackwater's days are numbered. The number of accusations against Blackwater, said Maliki, make it impossible for them to stay in Iraq.
Two armored sport-utility vehicles were badly damaged and heavily burned, according to AP photos from the scene.
U.S. authorities confiscated an AP Television News videotape that contained scenes of the wounded being evacuated. U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl told the AP the government of Iraq had made it illegal to photograph or videotape the aftermath of bombings or other attacks.
Poland, a staunch U.S. ally, contributed combat troops to the 2003 U.S.-led war in Iraq, and has since led a multinational division south Baghdad. About 900 Polish troops are currently stationed there training Iraqi personnel; 21 have died during the conflict.
Last year, the Polish government extended its mission in Iraq until the end of 2007, leaving a decision on further extensions for later this year.