Posted on 04/13/2009 9:59:50 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
A US congressman has had a narrow escape on a visit to Mogadishu after Somali insurgents fired mortars towards his plane as it was about to take off.
Airport officials told the BBC one mortar had landed near the airport as Donald Payne's plane was due to fly and five others after his plane departed.
Mr Payne had just met leaders of Somalia's government in the capital.
He had discussed ways that the international community might be able to help war-torn Somalia.
The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says Mr Payne had just left a half-hour news conference at the presidential palace in the capital when the attack happened, according to airport officials.
Abukar Hassan, a police officer at Mogadishu airport, told Reuters news agency: "One mortar landed at the airport when Payne's plane was due to fly and five others after he left and no-one was hurt."
Three people were wounded when one of the mortars hit a nearby neighbourhood, residents told Reuters.
Mr Payne earlier met President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, among other Somali officials.
The New Jersey Democrat said it was his first visit to Somalia since the early 1990s, when the country last had a stable government.
Fragile government
During his brief stop in one of the world's most dangerous cities, Mr Payne was escorted by African Union (AU) soldiers, who are deployed in Somalia on a peacekeeping mission.
An AU official told AFP on condition of anonymity: "The plane of the congressman was leaving and the mortars started falling. There were no casualties, but the attack was aimed at the congressman. He flew out safely."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
bttt
“A US congressman has had a narrow escape on a visit to Mogadishu after Somali insurgents fired mortars towards his plane...”
Too bad they aren’t better shots.
Somalia has a government ?
That must’ve been a pain for Payne.
if the denizens of his district in Newark had mortars they’d use them too.
There for a photo op or just visiting relatives?
Sad. Rep. Payne probably didn’t have a chance to sit down with the insurgents and have meaningful dialogue. That way they’d have known we only want to help them, and that we’re no longer the arrogant and militaristic b@st@rds we’ve been in the past. That’s really the only way to deal with evil lunatics - have meaningful dialogue.
Why was this idiot visiting this hell hole now? Was it his aim to give aid and comfort to the families of the terrorists? The people of NJ must be so proud of the people they send to the circus we now call our Congress!
Shame on these Democrats!
“Somali insurgents”
Just about everybody in that country is an insurgent based on the definition of insurgency.
They have only a small authorized government at the present time.
Stay and keep it stable then!....please?
Porkhawk down.....
Libs will make the "connection" to rescue of ship captain however it's unlikely that this was coordinated after the event.
Chances are that the Somalia's merely were trying to take out an American - period.
Typical behavior for those folk.
The Somalian Ambassador to the the U.S. was the only survivor of the ambassador's delegation to survive yesterday.
Since when is being “mortared” having one round land near where the plane was to fly (whatever that means) and five more landing after the plane was gone. Did the big, brave congresscritter cr@p his pants?
He'll let you know when Hillary explains to him how she crapped her pant suit when running for her life for a flight in Bosnia.
They have to keep their stories consistent. ; )
I'm sure he must have. Dems always cr@p where they e@t.
It would be interesting to see the congressman’s reaction to a pirate attack.
Compare his reaction to that of the American captain who offered himself as hostage in exchange for the freedom of his crew.
I can picture the congressman throwing aides at the pirates and telling them he was going back to D.C. to expedite a bill calling on the pirates to release their hostages.
That's not an attack it is a coincidence!
An attack is where the USMC pilots halt and abandon the aircraft during take off taxi. Then we waited in shelter for 20 minutes, reboarded, and took off.
My thoughts exactly.
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