Congress Inspection Team Lodged at Terrorist-Attacked Hotel

Just one day after the terrorist bombing which damaged the British consulate and the offices of a London-based banking giant in Istanbul, Turkey, another terrorism act took place in Baghdad as more than 10 rockets were fired at two hotels in downtown Baghdad and at the headquarters of the Iraqi Oil Ministry. Foreign news sources, including CNN, urgently passed on that at least three people were wounded during the attacks.

At the Palestine Hotel, which was assaulted with by four rockets, 10 members of the Korean Congress Iraq dispatch inspection team (Chief: Congressman Kang Chang-hee) were staying there but none have been injured, said the source from the inspection team.

Despite the terrorist acts, the inspection team has decided to continue working.

The improvised office of Korean embassy in Iraq has set up at this hotel but has not suffered any casualties.

“Many western businessmen and journalists have made use of the Palestine Hotel so far,” remarked Lee Kwang-jae, the chief of Asia-Pacific Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He added, “We concluded that (this attack) did not target us.”

“The main quarters of our embassy and the Congress inspection team were located far from the 16th floor where the rocket struck,” remarked Lee, adding, “I pointed out to Son Se-ju, the acting ambassador, that the embassy should move out to the safety area immediately and that the inspection team should also be put up somewhere else.”

On the other hand, the security council of UN, just after the bombing on the British consulate and the London-based bank, HSBC, unanimously consented to adopt the resolution and stated, “We manifest our firm resolution that we will face any kind of terrorism head-on.”

“This (terrorism) attack has been made without any consideration to human life,” criticized Kopi Anan, the general secretary of UN. He added that “We have to hold these terrorists accountable for their actions this time.”

The U.S. State Department has warned its citizens residing in Turkey that an additional terrorist attack targeting another western country’s interests may happen, including the U.S. The U.S. government has also temporarily shut down its consulate in Turkey.