A State Department convoy carrying the US Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill was targeted by a roadside bomb in Nassiriyah today, causing minor damage to one of the vehicles but causing no injuries. “We are all fine,” Hill was quoted as saying.
The State Department is reportedly conducting an investigation into the incident, but Ambassador Hill downplayed the severity of the bombing saying it was “nothing.”
Hill’s unannounced visit involved meetings with local political leaders, who urged him to help spur foreign investment. The bombing is likely to harm that prospect, however, in that comparatively calm Dhi Qar Province.
Ambassador Hill has been in the State Department since 1977, and has previously been ambassador to Macedonia, Poland, and South Korea.