Cheney was at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan for an unannounced visit when a suicide bomber attacked the main gate. From AP…

BAGRAM, Afghanistan – A suicide bomber killed 19 people and wounded 11 on foot killed and wounded some two dozen people outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan on Tuesday during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, officials said.The Taliban claimed responsibility and said Cheney was the target.

From BBC…

The US military said the explosion did not appear to be aimed at the vice-president, who was safely inside at the time.

SNIP

A US spokesman described it as a “direct attack” on the base, which was put on red alert for a while.

SNIP

The vice-president left the base about 90 minutes after the blast, the White House said.

SNIP

But the BBC’s Charles Haviland in Kabul says Bagram is one of the most heavily guarded sites in Afghanistan and such incidents there are extremely rare.

SNIP

A trader in a market outside the base described the explosion as “huge”, saying it shook market stalls. (all emphasis mine)

CNN International reports Afghan officials say 3 foreign (likely US) solders were killed. BBC now reports…One US soldier and one other coalition soldier were among the dead.

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Such attacks are extremely rare but it wasn’t aimed at Cheney?

So how will they spin it?

Dick…another sign of progress.

Laura… “it’s the one bombing a day that discourages everybody.”

W…will just go for a bike ride

UPDATE: AP updates that there is a discrepancy on the death toll thus the strikeout and change in the AP story above

BBC’s article has changed also.