Military

DATE= 10/26/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=IRAQ / AL RASHEED (L)

NUMBER=2-309056

BYLINE=GREG LAMOTTE

DATELINE=BAGHDAD

CONTENT=

INTRO: Rockets struck the Al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad early Sunday causing an unknown number of casualties. U-S Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who has been visiting the Iraqi capital, described the attack as a desperate act. V-O-A's Greg LaMotte has this report from Baghdad.

TEXT: The attack occurred about 6 o'clock this morning when six to eight

rockets struck the west side of the Al-Rasheed hotel, which faces a large

park. Dozens of the hotels windows were shattered.

The U-S military says there were an unspecified number of injuries and at

least three people were seen being carried away on stretchers. The hotel

houses many American military and civilian employees.

Shortly after the incident U-S Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz described the rocket attack as a desperate act of a dying regime of criminals.

/ / / WOLFOWITZ ACT / / /

The criminals who are trying to destabilize this country, abused and

tortured Iraq for 35 years and we have ended that mass oppression. There

are a few who refuse to accept the reality of a new and free Iraq. We

will be unrelenting in our pursuit of them. As the President has said,

we are taking this fight to the enemy.

/ / / END ACT / / /

Mr. Wolfowitz, who was not injured in the rocket attack, said the United

States would not abandon its effort to bring stability to Iraq. He said

the terrorists would not deter the U-S mission in Iraq, which he said is

to help the Iraqi people free themselves from the type of criminals who

carried out the attack against the Al-Rasheed hotel.

The hotel is located in an area tightly controlled by the U-S military

and is near the headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority.

The Al-Rasheed came under a similar attack with three small rockets on September 27th . That attack resulted only in minor damage.

The luxury hotel was opened in 1982 for a summit of nonaligned nations and

was considered Baghdad's main guesthouse for visiting dignitaries.

The Al-Rasheed was owned by the Iraqi government and was taken over by

American forces in April when they moved into the capital. (Signed)

NEB/GL/KBK