Christian Isely, MS 03
Baghdad, Iraq
Baghdad Dispatch #3
Baghdad - April 30, 2004
In some ways, I feel like I'm back at summer camp when I was a kid what with living in a big communal tent and the large cafeteria style dining hall. I live and work in the vicinity of one of the several palaces that populate the Green Zone. The palace itself is a rather ostentatious building with marble all over the interior. Inane quotes from SH (Saddam Hussein) line some of the walls. I can't read them of course (they are in Arabic and I am hoping to delve into that language very soon) but apparently they say things like "Work hard and you will be rewarded". His initials are imprinted on all the bricks in the walls in our dining area. The story is that our dining hall once housed a huge banquet hosted by SH whereupon many of the attendees were poisoned. Of course, I'm hearing such stories all the time and take everything with a grain of salt. Apparently, one of Udai's many liquor collections are in the basement and includes 6 bottles of Johnny Walker Blue Label. One can also take a look at Udai's sword and pistol canes (the man was injured by an assassination attempt - hence the weapons disguised as canes - like something out of a bad Kung Fu movie).
Had a Bremer sighting yesterday. I caught just a glimpse of the man. He was surrounded by his bodyguard entourage. I imagine he is ready to go home in a couple months. Then perhaps I will get a Negroponte sighting. (He is supposed to be the new ambassador. Bremer's title is actually Ambassador Bremer.)
Most of the security is provided by private security firms. Most of these guys are Brits and look pretty happy to be part of the action. These are good times for "hired guns". Another security firm employs only Nepalese ghurkas. They are posted at checkpoints and doors. I now know how to say goodbye in Nepalese.
In some ways, I feel like I'm in the Old American West. Men outnumber women by far, almost everyone is armed, and everyone has a price on his head. Apparently, the going rate for yours truly is $10,000. Thankfully, I never have to leave the Green Zone so no one will get a chance to collect. I imagine the male/female ration will improve as more civilians move in as the military makes way for the State Department to take over on July 1st.
Saw what looked to be either a mortar or a tracer in the distant sky last night. To date, no one has been killed by a mortar in the Green Zone. The only serious violent injury consisted of a guy who got knifed in the neck over a woman - just another Green Zone story.
Went to a party last night. Since we work only half a day on Fridays (I work 7 days a week), Thursday nights are for celebrating. There are not too many people my age outside the military so most of the time I end up having drinks with guys over 50 who are ex-military. Last night, I heard all sorts of war stories. I also got some of the inside scoop on the ongoing negotiations between the US military and the civic leaders in Fallujah from a guy who attended one of the meetings. Apparently, the real problem is that US has no one to negotiate with who has any real power. The Fallujah negotiators have little control over the insurgents (I imagine there to be very little organization or hierarchy for individual insurgents to answer to) who seem to fire off RPGs at will. The challenge ahead is immense.
I guess that's enough for now. Gotta get back to work.
Christian