The terrorists were foiled in another attempt to take down one of their decades-long favorite targets, as a commercial airliner has again escaped their horror in Iraq.
A homemade bomb was found Monday on a commercial flight inside Iraq, prompting additional screening measures to go into effect at Baghdad International Airport, the U.S. Embassy said.
No further details were released and the statement did not say whether the affected flight had arrived or was preparing to depart.
“American citizens are encouraged to review their travel plans to determine whether travel on commercial carriers servicing Iraq is necessary at this time,” the embassy said.
Commercial flights resumed to and from Baghdad on Nov. 15 after being suspended for a week under a state of emergency declared on the eve of the U.S.-led assault on the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.
Aircraft flying into and out of Baghdad have been fired on frequently by insurgents, and planes take a number of precautions to minimize attack.
On June 27, insurgents fired on an Australian C-130 military transport after takeoff from Baghdad’s airport, killing an American passenger and forcing the aircraft to return.
To say that Iraq, especially Sunni Iraq, is still a dangerous place is quite the understatement. I contend that it is just as erroneous to say the situation is hopeless.
And what is it with radical Moslems and airplanes? I know they crave the fiery spectacle like a crackwhore wants the rock, but they soon need to realize any hope they have for success (at least in the short- to mid-term) is to face the American forces and bite the bullet, literally and figuratively. Civilian targets are not helping them with the Iraqi populace.
Back to the planes thing — I’m just glad their were no Islamists around Kitty Hawk in 1903.