Gen. Abizaid Escapes Attack In Fallujah

Posted on February 12, 2004

From ABC News: U.S. Commander Gen. John Abizaid Unhurt in Mideast Attack.

FALLUJAH, Iraq Feb. 12 — Insurgents launched a brazen attack Thursday on an Iraqi civil defense outpost visited by Gen. John Abizaid, commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East. Abizaid and his party escaped injury in the gun battle.
Just moments after a convoy carrying Abizaid and his party pulled inside the cinderblock walls at the headquarters of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps in this city west of Baghdad, an explosion rang out. Seconds later, two more explosions were heard near the rear of the compound, and U.S. soldiers responded with a barrage of rifle and machine gun fire.
Several attackers fired three rocket-propelled grenades, and another pelted the party with small arms fire from a nearby mosque. The gun battle lasted about six minutes.
No U.S. soldiers and no one in Abizaid’s party were injured. Residents said one Iraqi was grazed in the leg by a bullet and slightly injured…
Abizaid appeared unfazed. Speaking in Arabic to one member of the Iraqi security force after the gunfight, the general asked about the attack and was told, “This is Fallujah. What do you expect.”

Boy, I’m sure glad that we’ve “brought them to their knees” over there, eh?