Whew...
Another loud day. I was walking to my car at 0920 this morning and heard a massive car bomb explode near one the IZ checkpoints. Those things are really loud. I hope not many people were hurt.
Ok so I decided I was not going to take cover in the Embassy tonight. Yesterday we had like 3 rockets land so I figured it would take them a few days to rearm. Wrong. I was sitting in my hooch at 1620 contemplating going to the Embassy and decided against it. At 1621 I heard 3 muffled explosions that I believed to be missile launches. I was right. A few seconds later I heard a distant boom and a close boom. The 3rd I did not hear so maybe it was a dud. So I changed my mind and headed over to the embassy. I had a spiced chai latte. It was yummy.
When I got back I found my hooch destroyed. Just kidding, it was fine. I would have been fine, but still.
So anyway now they have closed a Checkpoint because I was right, the 3rd launch was a dud over near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is getting crazy but it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. We really used to get like 10-15 every day. I liked it more when it was predictable.
Anyway, I have decided to go ahead and go out with the lunatic chick. We are going to have dinner tonight at the Chinese restaurant. Quaint little place. I called ahead and reserved a corner table. I wasn’t going to go out with her, but pickings are slim and she is really hot. Not just Baghdad Beautiful, an actual real beauty.
So anyway, you know I said earlier that Iraqis require a “Saddam type leader”? Well I did. And don’t spin that that to include the use of common BS phrases such as rape rooms and torture chambers. They need a benevolent dictator. Or a King. I wish that Sharif Ali bin Hussein had been put into power when Bremer left. These Iraqis don’t respond to change very well. They are used to being told what to do. Put one guy in charge and let him tell them how to act. As long as you have the Chalabis and Talibanis and Sistanis and so on running massive tribes each with opposing interests they are not going to sort things out.
Here is an example. When I was in the military I used to go on missions across South-Central Iraq including Ramadi, Fallujah, Karbala and Najaf and Hillah to name a few. I actually got to see the ruins at Babil and saw with my own eyes the Shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf. I met with locals in downtown Al-Kut. That is a sidebar, anyway, occasionally you have flats. We would dismount the Suburbans and establish a 360 degree perimeter while 1 guy changed the tire. On a few occasions I was the guy that had to walk about 100 meters behind the convoy to signal traffic to move to the far left lane and to slow down and pass us. Usually I carried an AK, but that didn’t seem to work so well. So the next time I grabbed a chrome AK. That worked better. But you know what worked best in getting their attention? My 9MM Walther. Yes I carried a Walther instead of a Beretta, it’s a cooler gun. Anyway, the only time the Iraqis saw an un-holstered 9MM was when they were about to get shot by an Army Officer. They see that 9mm and they obey your commands. To them it is a sign of power. And they responded correctly to my demonstration of that power. Maybe they could just tell that I really would shoot them in an instant if they tried anything funny.
So, I believe that had we re-established a monarchy with a living descendant of a prior monarch, things would have gone more smoothly.
No time for pictures tonight. I have to put some decent clothes on and grab my date. Wish me luck. Actually, I will attempt to post my Condi pic again.
Woohoo, it finally worked!
Cheers,
Walt
Ok so I decided I was not going to take cover in the Embassy tonight. Yesterday we had like 3 rockets land so I figured it would take them a few days to rearm. Wrong. I was sitting in my hooch at 1620 contemplating going to the Embassy and decided against it. At 1621 I heard 3 muffled explosions that I believed to be missile launches. I was right. A few seconds later I heard a distant boom and a close boom. The 3rd I did not hear so maybe it was a dud. So I changed my mind and headed over to the embassy. I had a spiced chai latte. It was yummy.
When I got back I found my hooch destroyed. Just kidding, it was fine. I would have been fine, but still.
So anyway now they have closed a Checkpoint because I was right, the 3rd launch was a dud over near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is getting crazy but it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. We really used to get like 10-15 every day. I liked it more when it was predictable.
Anyway, I have decided to go ahead and go out with the lunatic chick. We are going to have dinner tonight at the Chinese restaurant. Quaint little place. I called ahead and reserved a corner table. I wasn’t going to go out with her, but pickings are slim and she is really hot. Not just Baghdad Beautiful, an actual real beauty.
So anyway, you know I said earlier that Iraqis require a “Saddam type leader”? Well I did. And don’t spin that that to include the use of common BS phrases such as rape rooms and torture chambers. They need a benevolent dictator. Or a King. I wish that Sharif Ali bin Hussein had been put into power when Bremer left. These Iraqis don’t respond to change very well. They are used to being told what to do. Put one guy in charge and let him tell them how to act. As long as you have the Chalabis and Talibanis and Sistanis and so on running massive tribes each with opposing interests they are not going to sort things out.
Here is an example. When I was in the military I used to go on missions across South-Central Iraq including Ramadi, Fallujah, Karbala and Najaf and Hillah to name a few. I actually got to see the ruins at Babil and saw with my own eyes the Shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf. I met with locals in downtown Al-Kut. That is a sidebar, anyway, occasionally you have flats. We would dismount the Suburbans and establish a 360 degree perimeter while 1 guy changed the tire. On a few occasions I was the guy that had to walk about 100 meters behind the convoy to signal traffic to move to the far left lane and to slow down and pass us. Usually I carried an AK, but that didn’t seem to work so well. So the next time I grabbed a chrome AK. That worked better. But you know what worked best in getting their attention? My 9MM Walther. Yes I carried a Walther instead of a Beretta, it’s a cooler gun. Anyway, the only time the Iraqis saw an un-holstered 9MM was when they were about to get shot by an Army Officer. They see that 9mm and they obey your commands. To them it is a sign of power. And they responded correctly to my demonstration of that power. Maybe they could just tell that I really would shoot them in an instant if they tried anything funny.
So, I believe that had we re-established a monarchy with a living descendant of a prior monarch, things would have gone more smoothly.
No time for pictures tonight. I have to put some decent clothes on and grab my date. Wish me luck. Actually, I will attempt to post my Condi pic again.
Woohoo, it finally worked!
Cheers,
Walt
posted by Walt at 6:38 PM
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