The
FOB (Forward Operating Base: Prosperity)
We are living on a
palace grounds. Let me take a minute to
share some details:
As I mentioned
before, the palace has been severely looted, so the only remaining items are
the cold stone buildings and the outer walls.
The FOB is surrounded by a 20 foot high wall. The wall is interrupted by four-story guard
towers. The view from atop the towers in
quite nice in some directions. The
palace itself is now trashed, but one can tell that it was once a beautiful
structure. In it’s heyday (three years
ago), it probably rivaled most fine world architecture. Now it’s a shell with falling marble slabs. We already had a minor accident, and a near
miss that could have been serious.
The Command
Sergeant Major: CSM Stanley, has been extremely proactive in keeping the men
safe. He has cordoned off dangerous
areas both inside and outside the grounds.
The minor accident was probably just a wake up call that can be easily
minded from now on. A soldier was
hammering on the stone wall to try to drive a nail into the concrete. A marble slab vibrated loose over his head
and clunked him good. I put four staples
in his scalp, and he was on his way.
There are upwards
of one-hundred buildings inside the perimeter of the palace grounds. Some “buildings” are nothing more than 10’ x
10’ storage sheds, but they have been numbered as well. We have beautiful satellite imagery of the
campus. I think it is classified
however, so I will have to check and see if I can get an unclassified image to
show. (I’m told a quick web search will
produce dozens)
There are three
large reflecting pools. (That are now so
dirty that “reflecting” is merely a historic term) Apparently two laps around the perimeter is
about 3 miles. (I wouldn’t know about
that)
There are
orchards. Figs, tangerines, and some
kind of pea are available for the picking.
I have seen many soldiers and hired workers eating them.
The grounds were
irrigated by the pools, but since the
There are also
some unusual raised slabs measuring 40’ x 40’, accompanied by a wash
station. I believe that these were
prayer areas, but have not found confirmation on the subject.
We have invaded
most of the orchards and plush greenery with our tanks. Tanks do lots of damage to the
landscape. Not much is left after a few
mechanical trespassers have been by.
This palace isn’t
even the nicest; Saddam’s main palace is twice as large as our own White House,
and currently is being used as the US Embassy.
Pictures of
the FOB
The City of Baghdad
You will just have to trust me when I say this:
Well, let me
rephrase that. The so-called “trash”
problem, is our own American perspective.
The locals do not see litter as a “problem” They don’t even employ trash cans, and the
idea of a waste disposal service is foreign.
Under Saddam, his areas were kept immaculate, but he never enforced the
concept with the locals. There are
aluminum and plastic bottles everywhere!
The streets are
paved just like any street in the
The buildings,
like DC, are not much over eight to ten stories. One or two towers do exist, but no real
skyline is created. The rich districts
look like any other affluent neighborhood in DC, complete with manicured lawns
and Mercedes-Benz automobiles on the streets in front. The hotels that I have been in, rival any
Ritz, Waldorf, or Marriot in the US.
One thing lacking,
is the variety of building materials. No
metal and glass façades around here. The
structures are limited to concrete, stone, and ,marble. (Just like many US Government buildings)
Little shops line
the lower, street levels of the larger business compounds. Picturesque locals can be seen in the door
fronts of such shops, desperately awaiting a passerby with change in his pocket
and a need to indulge.
The traffic is
congested and dangerous. Some how the
higher priced cars display signs of immunity from the fender-bender damage
plagued econo-line machines that make up the bulk of city transportation. Busses run.
(Note the lack of “on a schedule”) Business men hustle from area to
area, focused on their cell phone conversations more so than the world around
them. All this leaving a sense that regardless
of race, religion, or geography, city-life is a universal standard. See the City
The People
The Iraqi people
are only a half of what you would expect from religious Muslim country. Not a single woman I have meet has hidden her
face or stood back from engagement with males.
Some have even grabbed my arms and addressed me directly. Many of the older woman do wear the black
robes, but none seem intimidated by the male gender. They do not walk behind them, they do not
seem to take orders from them, and most certainly have no reservations about
scolding any man they see fit.
And for every
woman in a traditional black robe, I have seen another in everyday American
fashion. Leather coats, blue jeans,
tee-shirts, and teenage girls walking around with midriff sections showing, are
a regular spectacle around here. People
have cell phones, walkmans, DVD, CD, TV, car stereos with loud sub-woofers, and
every other accoutrement you can imagine.
The men wear
business suits that mimic Neiman-Marcus and Macys styles. Shoes are equivalent.
For a foreign
country, things aren’t so foreign.
Many people speak
English, so communication has been easy.
Even on my medical missions in the poorest of locations, the people have
bridged most of the language barrier themselves. I have two translators, but they stay more
busy helping give out medications than translating.
One of my two
translators: Tom (Allah) was a licensed pharmacist under the Hussein
régime. He has no employment
opportunities now, so he works for the US and an interpreter.
The most
significant difference I’ve noted in the locals is their complete lack of
concern for punctuality or commitment.
Even the most heartfelt promise is only a 50/50 probability. “Late” is an understatement. A 2:00pm appointment could see arrival of
guests as late at 10:00pm that night, or a day or two later. It is extremely difficult to hold these
people to a contract. If you argue that
you do not owe them because they missed the deadline, you’re wasting your
breath. Deadlines only occur when
someone actually dies, and then its not their fault. “If God wills it / Insallah” is their
motto. They cannot be held accountable
for any negative occurrences. For some
reason however, they feel that we can.
It’s this one sided contracting practice that really causes
problems. I threw an “Insallah” back in
the face of one of the medical equipment contractors. He was very angry, but his buddies laughed at
him. My translator told me later that
one of the buddies commented, “The doctor wasn’t as stupid as he thought.”
Until these people
develop a sense of pride in their work and expedience, I am doubtful that they
will ever obtain much stature in modern society. Otherwise, I rather like them. The People