Washington Post offices damaged in Baghdad bombings

In today’s Washington Post we read a piece entitled Bombs hit 3 Baghdad hotels, kill at least 16 and we find that one of the hotels that was bombed is in the vicinity of the offices of the Washington Post in Iraq.  Three employees were injured.

Here is an excerpt:

“BAGHDAD — Three hotels in downtown Baghdad were bombed Monday, officials said, including a hotel that houses the offices of The Washington Post. At least 16 people were killed, wire services said, and scores were wounded — three of them Iraqi employees of The Post….”

“The Post’s bureau is located in a house on the Hamra property. The explosion was detonated near the checkpoint at the entrance to the compound, shortly after heavily armed men attacked the checkpoint.

The three Post employees who were injured were injured by flying glass. Two of them sustained head injuries, and a third has broken ribs and a broken arm. All three are conscious.

The windows of the house were shattered in the blast, and much of the bureau is in tatters.”

Now that this is personal, how much do you want to bet that the Washington Post starts taking the war news overseas much more seriously? 

For the last two or three months it has been difficult to find substantive war correspondence in the Post.  It has been almost impossible to find in the New York Times. My guess is that the White House leaned on them to stop or delay any reporting with depth on the complex issues of these unpopular wars. I would lay you a pension check now that those days are gone, at least as far as the Post is concerned.

When violence gets personal, the news tends to get much more real. Lets wait and see if I am correct.

CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)