Explosion causes casualties outside US base in Afghanistan during Cheney visit

An explosion outside the main US military base in Afghanistan went off Tuesday as US Vice President Dick Cheney was visiting, causing an unknown number of casualties but apparently not putting the vice president in danger, officials said.

The blast happened at the first gate outside the base at Bagram, and there were an unknown number of casualties, said Kabir Ahmad, the district chief of the Bagram region. Maj. William Mitchell said it did not appear the explosion was intended as a threat to the vice president, who was "Safely inside the base" during the blast. (AP)