A C-130 carrying Senator Jim Inhofe and Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Mel Martinez (R-FL), and Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL) was shot at late today while departing Baghdad en route to Amman, Jordan. The crew of the aircraft dispensed flares to defeat any potential heat-seeking missile threat and no one was harmed.
Said Inhofe: “I have witnessed first-hand progress resulting from the ongoing surge in Iraq since my last trip to the region. Al Qaeda’s unsuccessful attempt to shoot down this C-130 aircraft was a futile effort to influence its losing fight in Iraq, and served to underscore the reality that terrorism is still a threat and that there is still work to be done. The crew’s impeccable training and flawless performance ensured the safety of the aircraft and all personnel on board. While this incident may have been harrowing, these are the kind of threats that our men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world continue to face everyday. They are the front line in the War on Terror and are to be commended for their tireless service.”
The lawmakers said their plane, a C-130, was under fire from three rocket-propelled grenades over the course of several minutes as they left for Amman, Jordan. "It was a scary moment," said Martinez, who said he had just taken off his body armor when he saw a bright flash outside the window. "Our pilots were terrific. ... They banked in one direction and then banked the other direction, and they set off the flares."
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