Explosion In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- breaking now (4:30 PM ET Sat)

CNN

Nothing more now.

.

And, we pretty much knew something big was coming, right?

Nothing on MSNBC...

Now they're on "How to buy a car" on CNN.

Here's a clue: buy one that will help us get out of the oil game.

}(

Sounds like a damned significant news event to me, though, and it'll be interesting when they finally get some facts to report.

I was dealing with several things at a time.

:-)

:hi:

EDITORS:

An explosion was heard in the Saudi capital of Riyadh at about midnight Saturday. A reporter and photographer are en route and developments will be expedited.

The AP

You're pretty freakin' cool. :-)

That's the latest from the AP. Nothing more.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=1SDRIIUIKT4W4CRBAE0CFEY?type=topNews&storyID=3782300

Blast Heard Near Riyadh Diplomatic Area, Diplomat Says
Sat November 8, 2003 04:32 PM ET

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - A Western diplomat said a blast was heard Sunday near the diplomatic quarter in the Saudi capital Riyadh, a day after the United States warned of terrorist attacks and shut its missions in the kingdom.
"I heard an explosion here in the diplomatic quarter. It sounded nearby," the diplomat told Reuters. It was not clear what had caused the blast which occurred a few minutes after midnight and shook windows in the capital.

The AP last updated the "terror warning" story at 3:06 pm today.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SAUDI_US_TERROR_ALERT?SITE=OHDAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- American diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia closed Saturday for an undetermined period amid warnings that a terror attack could be imminent in the tense Gulf kingdom.

It was the first time that the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and two other missions have been closed over terror worries since May. Britain, meanwhile, warned of a high risk of terror attacks against Western targets in Bahrain and Qatar and a significant risk in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Do you know if Riyadh has much of a night life on a Saturday this time of the year?

I wonder the bombers timed and placed their weapon to minimize collateral injuries in the local population.

eom

They first reported the explosion occurred near where the palaces of the royal family's senior princes are located.

They corrected it almost immediately thereafter and said the explosions did NOT occur near the Embassy or Diplomatic Quarter. They are receiving information from Al-Jazeera.

Assembled in pieces:

AP-SAUDI EXPLOSION
Explosion rocks Saudi capital

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - An explosion rocked the Saudi capital Riyadh just before midnight Saturday, and smoke could be seen rising from the area of the blast, a U.S. official said.

Police cars headed toward the area, which appeared to be in the western part of the city. The U.S. official said the explosion occurred outside the diplomatic quarter in the southwestern part of the city.

MORE
AP-SAUDI EXPLOSION, 1ST ADD

The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, and it wasn't known if there were any casualties.

A western diplomat said he got a call from a friend who reported seeing smoke rising from a building on the other side of the diplomatic quarter near an area where the palaces of the royal family's senior princes are located.

MSNBC just disputed this information, curiously...

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SAUDI_EXPLOSION?SITE=OHDAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Excerpt:

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- An explosion rocked the Saudi capital Riyadh just before midnight Saturday, and smoke could be seen rising from the area of the blast, a U.S. official said.

Police cars headed toward the blast, which appeared to have happened in the western part of the city. The U.S. official said the explosion occurred outside the diplomatic quarter in the southwestern part of the city.

The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, and it wasn't known if there were any casualties.

A western diplomat said he got a call from a friend who reported seeing smoke rising from a building on the other side of the diplomatic quarter near an area where the palaces of the royal family's senior princes are located.

nothing on any of the cable news channels about this SOMEWHAT important news item. CNN is insane I don't care about how rich fat cat Capitalists can get even fatter and even richer by feeding off the backs of the working class. Dollar signs?? are they kidding? The Middle East is exploding and these idiots want you to buy a new car! What the hell is going on, it's such blatant manipulation of the news. It's disgusting

Eyewitnesses see smoke near diplomatic quarter. Reports still coming in. Gunshots heard before the explosion. No casualty reports yet.

Now back to how to spend the money you don't have on CNN.

As this is an event that supports the concept that American Intelligence Agencies do good work, the story will get plenty of legs.
At _that_ point we will need to watchout for blatant manipulation of the event.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3254103.stm

MSNBC has an Al-Jazeera translator, saying THREE explosions have occurred where westerners reside, near compounds of foreign workers.

This is the same compound that was attacked on May 12, according to the reporter.

down-hill from here is my estimation of things.

We need to get out of the region now and do whatever it takes to help re-balance things they way they were- from afar.

Damn...

To them, "It's better that we're fighting terra' in the Middle East...rather than on the streets in Kansas, Iowa...or, any other place in America."

I cringe whenever I hear a Repuke say that...and, I hear it often...and, they're usually a Senator or Congressman/woman! Ugh!

How clueless can people be? "Damn!"...is right!

:mad:

Because our intelligence was able to predict that something was going to take place. HUH????? Was George Orwell a prophet?

This is the story that Roverer will be pushing. I can already hear the rightwingers on the talk show. Tomorrow ought to be as predictable as death and taxes...

:shrug:

Guess we should expect that kind of spin on tragedy from Fox News.

MINIRUE will paint this in the best of ways until... they realize
this is the same CIA they want to blame for ALL OTHER FAILURES.

:grr:

very significant in the middle east. This goes to the "black out" of the news of late and I think this has to be huge. There is alot more to what is going on with the US and Sauidi Arabia than was ever let out for public consumption.

MSNBC NOW

and an emergency has been declared in their hospitals. Great fire on the scene.

This sounds really damn bad.

before and after the explosions

23 ambulances dispatched to the area, which is the B-2 compound that houses western foreigners, and a hospital emergency has been called in Riyadh. The resulting fire is enormous, according to reports.

The Al-Jazeerah translator says that many rich Saudis live in this area as well as western civilian guest workers. He again confirms this is the same compound attacked in May. He says that there is a correlation between this attack and Bin Laden's message in October.

Photographers are not allowed near the area without permission from the Saudi government, but media helicopters are reported in the area.

Sounds like the start of a revolution. Gunshots and multiple explosions, and SA was the cradle of the 9-11 terrorists. There has been no doubt in my mind that the huge discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots in SA will inevitably lead to an internal revolution and civil war.

If the discrepancy between the wealthy and the masses of the populace grows overwhelming, will the sheeple of the US start a revolution?

I don't ask to seem cute, it's a question that has been circling around in my head for the last few months. I must agree that huge numbers of below subsistance people must foment unrest.

Historically, revolutions have been economic, not politically based, from france to russia, even our own revolution was triggered by tax revolt. The question is, are the masses of our citizenry, completely uneducated and uninterested in anything that happens outside of their personal sight, ever going to wake up to what has been done in their name?

I'm beginning to doubt it.

Interested in your take on the subject.

And probably would have, if Hoover or another Republican had been elected in 1932. As it was farmers in the rural heartland took to overturning milk trucks and stopping bank repo men at gunpoint to reclaim reposessed farm equipment.

Françoise

and his love affair with meg ryan?

that's the *news* on CNN!

we just learned how to purchase a car, and when we're done with russell, it's on to rumors about prince charles!

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SAUDI_EXPLOSION?SITE=OHDAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

A U.S. embassy spokesperson said the attack targeted the B2 compound, which is in the Nakheel neighborhood near the Muhaya shopping center. It's a residential area, with mainly Saudis and other Arabs with a few foreigners.

The official said all U.S. embassy personnel are accounted for. There is no information on casualties, including whether private Americans are involved.

Is crediting our intelligence services already.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE!

Worse than what? We don't even know what happened yet.

U.S. troops are (mostly) out of Saudi Arabia. We've closed our embassy there. The House of Saud is under attack by Osama. Saddam is out of power (a goal of Osama) and Iraq is in chaos and engaged in killing American soldiers, and will soon be an Islamic fundamentalist state (after it kicks out american troops in a couple of years). Afghanistan is seeing a resurgence of the Taliban.

Nice going George the Idiot. You've played right into his hands.

reelection in 2004... the best thing that happened to him.

You scratch mine.

Looks like both Osama and George W. are doing pretty well in all of this. Its just everyone else on Earth that gets fucked.

... some of them children, due to the Ramadan holiday evening crowds in the area.

living in compound.

off AP wire:

Rabie Hadeka, a resident inside the targeted compound, told Al-Arabiya TV that "about 20 to 30 people have been killed and 50 to 60 injured."

"Around 10 buildings collapsed and shattered glass was spread everywhere after we heard three very strong explosions," Hadeka told Al-Arabiya in a telephone interview.

You know, CNN has just not been on top of this today...

Said 100 injured, nothing about dead yet...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/984977.asp?0cv=CA01


Looks like they went after the rich folks....

Without the latest crusades against Islam by bush this would not have happened. Once Dean or whomever gets in this kind of crap will just stop.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EB5263F3-19B1-4683-A206-BF2F94A6D503.htm


Details are still emerging from the scene but a Saudi journalist told Aljazeera that a shootout took place in the compound where the explosion occurred.

Abd al-Rahman al-Lahim reported from the scene of the explosion and said there was a large fire in the compound where he heard three blasts, only seconds apart

Al-Lahim added that the compound houses foreigners from various countries and said security forces have blocked off the area surrounding the compound, preventing people from entering.

snip

A US Embassy spokeswoman confirmed the explosion, but said it was not in the diplomatic quarter. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Another diplomat said he got a call from a friend who reported seeing smoke rising from a building on the other side of the diplomatic quarter near an area where the palaces of the royal family's senior princes are located.

more

Interview! Did you see her TRASHING Halliburton/Bechtel, and doing TRUE Reporting.....I'm in Shock.....PLUS....they repeated it all so TWICE they showed CRASHING of US Policy in Iraq......EVEN THE GAS PRICES where Iraqi's are spending more for gas to Halliburton than the Iraqi's could get on their own....did you SEE paying $272.00 an hour to TRAIN Iraqi people on how to be Media Reporters? Did you see the "American Taxdollars Give Away to Media for Propaganda that Iraqi's don't want to watch any more than we do? The criticism that Mitchell showed about this? (Gasping for air, here!)

Did anyone see this........? Twice.....back to back? I'm in a fight with hubby who says "kid pushed wrong button that Mitchell's Damning Report aired over and over on MSNBC! I'm sayin NO! They don't make mistakes like this in today's TV World where they "repeat a report over and over!" He says "I'm a conspiracy theorist....kid pushed "wrong button!" I said "NO, MSNBC isn't going to repeat Mitchell's TRASHING of BUSH TWICE!.......no answer....

Did ANYONE see this? MSNBC's Back to Back Trashing by Mitchell of Iraq and Bush/Halliburton/Bechtel and the Media Propaganda in Iraq where it IS NOT working/and interview with Waxman repeated on MSNBC twice....

Am I :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: ?????????? Media watchers help me out here....did you see IT????

... you should post this over in GD, where more folks could see it. It's kinda buried in this thread.

I'm sorry I missed it!!!

VG.(amazing how fast you "non dial-up" folks can see posts!) But anyway I did what you suggested....thanks........with what I saw.....

Is this why the explosions were done against innocent children?

American bombing of Baghdad?

how many more from Depleted Uranium? The US has killed lots of kids...

I doubt the use of DU by any country will help comfort the familes of those killed tonight by those that just want to kill innocents for the shock and thrill of it.

concerned about their Jihad against the corrupt house of Saudi than with innocent children. Even if the US killing children does not have anything to do with this, by doing what WE (the US is WE) have done, we have gone down to their level.

I'm searching for where the US parked or drove trucks and cars loaded with explosives with the intent of killing non-combatants for shock value. What, again was military target of this latest Saudi bombing?

lethal materials (like agent orange in Vietnam--have we gone back to see what happened to all those people who were directly sprayed?) or the atomic bomb in Japan, or Depleted Uranium in Iraq and other places. This not only cause immediate death, but lingering birth defects and illnesses in the population at large. They do have pictures of this on the web if you are interested in looking.

The point made was that the US and these latest bombers are no different.

I'm looking for evidence that we targeted innocents with our bombs.

figure it out for yourself and quit wasting bandwidth....

I apologize for asking a question out of line with your approval and definition of "obtuse". It won't happen again sir!

but no, they ran the same segment twice!
You aren't nuts, you just look that way. :evilgrin:

I can't tell you thanks enough! (Sighing Relief!)

I find it really interesting and want other people to comment. I hope this is OK?

saw it....I'm telling you.....I thought I'd gone over to the "other side" when I saw this repeated! So, I was so glad to see I wasn't only one who saw it ....and don't have to go through "Yellow Pages" Mondeay, AM...to find a therapist!!! Many thanks....It's still so bizarre that a major Cable like MSNBC would either have a "flub up" or do it "on purpose" of repeating a segment by a major reporter like Mitchell twice in the same "half hour segment!" This kind of "flub up" doesn't happen today! If it does....it doesn't seem that it would be "accident."

Was this today? I'd LOVE to see this!

being "filtered" by the American press. We need people from du to make the trip so that we can be well informed and apprised of all the latest developments. I'm ready and willing to go tommorow, but I don't have the financial backing or the journalistic skills. DU needs somebody there. I'm offering my limited skills.

The 3 explosions (the one thing that seems to be agreed on) were either:

a) In a compound used by foreign civilian workers
b) In a compound that used to be used by foreign workers, but now is full of upscale Saudis
or
c) In a compound used by Saudi royals

In any case, there are 20-30 dead, twice that many injured, gunshots were heard both before and after the explosion, and the hospitals are on emergency status handling the injured.

The area has either:
a) been sealed off
or
b) become so crowded with onlookers that emergency vehicles can't get through (heard on CNNI).

One report mentioned that gunfire was apparently still ongoing (an hour ago).

Large explosion hits Saudi capital

A powerful explosion has hit Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh.

The blast, at about midnight (2100 GMT), hit the Muhaya residential compound, which houses mainly Saudi workers - as well as foreigners - in the west of the capital.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3254103.stm

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20031109/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saudi_explosion
<snip>
The midnight blast came after gunmen broke into the upscale compound of about 200 villas and exchanged fire with security guards, a Saudi government official said.


The official Saudi Press Agency, quoting an Interior Ministry official, described the attack as "terrorist."

There were conflicting reports of the number of dead and wounded. An official at a Riyadh hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity, said dozens of people were killed. The official said dozens more were wounded, and that Saudis, Germans, French and Italians lived in the 200 villas in the compound.

The manager of the targeted compound estimated that 100 people were wounded, and a resident said 20 to 30 people were killed, the Al-Arabiya television channel said. Officials at the King Khaled Specialist Hospital and the King Faisal Special Hospital & Research Center said the two hospitals received 38 injured people.

Flames could be seen still burning at the compound several hours after the explosion. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Amanda Batt in Washington said no Americans were hurt.

from the BBC...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3254103.stm

At least 10 houses are reported to have been destroyed.

Initial reports suggest up to three explosions hit the area -and they were powerful enough to be heard across the Saudi capital.

"We heard very strong explosion and we saw the fire," Bassem al-Hourani, who said he was a resident at the targeted compound, told Arabic television station Al-Arabiya.

"I heard screams of the children and women... I saw a lot of people injured and I believe there a lot of people dead," he said.

A thin plume of smoke was rising from the compound as police and ambulances rushed to the scene.

Initial reports said the compound was mostly used by Saudis - but an AFP journalist in Riyadh told the BBC British people lived there too.

My heart goes out to all those affected.

Who is responsible for all of this........

Now stop whinning. The economy is coming back, 126,000 new jobs, unemployment is down to 6%, you got huges tax cuts what more do you want? Will you ingrates please stop talking about how horrible things are. Didn't you hear the "good news" about Iraq? Aren't the media outlets following every story of terrorism with "good news" now...isn't it fair and balanced, didn't we get a few hugs from a few Iraqis, isn't the oil flowing, the schools opening, are there no people dancing in the streets? Get a grip!!! (sarcasm)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Three explosions rocked a residential compound in the Saudi capital Saturday night, killing at least two people and wounding 86, in what a government official said was a suicide car bombing.

The attack came a day after the U.S. Embassy warned that terror attacks could be imminent in the tense Gulf kingdom, and America's three diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia were closed Saturday as a result.

Just before the midnight blasts, an unknown number of attackers broke into the upscale compound of about 200 villas, a Saudi official said, and gunfire was heard.

An Interior Ministry official told The Associated Press early Sunday the attack was a suicide car bombing, and that two security guards were killed and 86 people wounded. The official said he believed it was carried out by al-Qaida because of similarities to a May 12 attack in the capital that killed 35 people.
…
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Saudi-Explosion.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=208362

Those questions are swirling around my head. Why not go after Big Guys?

This sucks.

Sometimes it hurts to wear a tinfoil hat.

:tinfoilhat:

The compound houses Saudi and other Arabs working for the U.S. company Boeing, reports CBS News Correspondent Tom Fenton.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/24/terror/main579968.shtml

In no way can I keep up. From the little I read and saw on CNN's anchor reports, CNN's interviews with the people it gave me the impression that this was a group of Iraqi civilians with no connection to the U.S. invasion.

we can thank michele from www.asmallvictory.net for posting a link to the forum so her little right wing readers can come here. Seems shes upset that anyone who accuse Bush of doing anything wrong

My error.