2007 Bagram Airfield bombing

The 2007 Bagram Airfield bombing was a suicide attack that killed up to 23 people and injured 20 more at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, while Dick Cheney, the Vice President of the United States, was visiting.[1] The attack occurred inside one of the security gates surrounding the heavily guarded base 60 km north of Kabul.[1]

2007 Bagram Airfield bombing
Location	Bagram, Afghanistan
Date	February 27, 2007 10 A.M (GMT+4:30 Kabul (UTC))
Target	Bagram Air Base Vice President Dick Cheney
Attack type	suicide attack, assassination attempt
Deaths	23
Injured	20
Perpetrators	Taliban al-Qaeda

In 2007, Bagram was the main US airbase in Afghanistan.

Events

On February 27, at about 10 am local time, a suicide bomber attacked the outer gate of the base, killing 23 people and injuring at least 20 others. Among the dead were U.S. soldier PFC Daniel Zizumbo; a U.S. contractor; SSG Yoon Jang-ho, a South Korean soldier; and 20 Afghan workers at the base.[2]

US Vice President Dick Cheney was on the base at the time of the attack, having arrived in Afghanistan the previous day to meet with US Allies. US officials reported that the Vice President was never in danger and he was about 1 mile away from the explosion. A purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, told the Associated Press that the Taliban had advance knowledge of Cheney's visit and Cheney was the intended target—claims that were met with skepticism by US officials. One US spokesman called them "far-fetched" and observed that "the vice president wasn't even supposed to be here overnight, so this would have been a surprise to everybody." Another US spokesman, Lt. Col. David Accetta, reported that the attacker did not attempt to pass any of the U.S. security checkpoints, but instead detonated himself amongst a group of Afghans. Accetta was quoted as saying "To characterize this as a direct attempt on the life of the vice president is absurd."[3] The bomber was at the first check point when he detonated and the Associated Press was set up already with cameras filming the area on the main road.

See also

• 2014 Bagram Airfield bombing
• 2015 Bagram Airfield bombing
• 2016 Bagram Airfield bombing

References

1. "Cheney unhurt in blast outside Afghan base". CNN. Associated Press. 2007-02-27. Archived from the original on 2007-03-01. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
2. Tang, Alisa (2007-02-27). "Cheney OK After Afghan Blast; 23 Killed". Newsday. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 29, 2005.
3. Tang, Alisa (2007-02-27). "Bomb within earshot of Cheney kills 23". The Boston Globe. Associated Press.