BAGHDAD, 23 March 2007 — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was unharmed but ducked behind the podium after a rocket landed near Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s office yesterday while the two men were speaking to reporters at a news conference.
Two Iraqi security guards on the grounds outside the building were slightly wounded, security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
An Associated Press reporter ran outside and saw a crater one meter in diameter about 50 meters from the building where the news conference was in progress. Two cars were damaged.
Maliki’s security officials said it was a rocket attack. US helicopters were quickly in the air headed in the direction from which the rocket was fired.
Small chips of debris floated down from the ceiling above the UN chief after the big explosion rattled the building in the Green Zone. He looked frightened, casting his eyes right and left as he rose after ducking behind the podium where he was standing and answering questions next to the prime minister. A few minutes later, a worried Ban turned to one of his aides and asked: “Is it OK?”
Maliki said “nothing’s wrong” as one of his security men started to grab the prime minister. The rocket landed as one of Ban’s replies was being translated into Arabic. Maliki then proceeded to answer a question and while that response was being translated, he turned to Ban and asked: “That’s enough?” Ban replied: “Yes.”
The sound of the weapon being fired could be heard not far from The Associated Press office, which is across the Tigris River to the east of the Green Zone.
