Poolside By Night

I took these photos a little while ago, apologies for the shakiness, I didn't have a late-medieval wall to prop the camera on as I did in Budapest. These are of my area, as some of my earliest posts were, though these are at night.

Our row, with sat. dishes and palms.

The sky, the trees sure are lit up differently when you time-expose them.

A Plug From The President

These remarks were made by the President on the 11th, plugging our won little PRT. What a special week this is for us. . . Lots of attention. We had his representatives of his advisor, Stephen Hadley, here a few weeks ago, and I was able to brief them from the GOV team's perspective.





President George W. Bush
United States Department of State
Washington, DC
December 11, 2006

Released by the White House, Office of the Press Secretary

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. I just had a briefing with senior policy advisors here at the State Department. I want to thank you for your hospitality, Madam Secretary.

We talked about a lot of things. We talked about what's taking place on the ground in Iraq, particularly from the perspective of the State Department. I must tell you, there are some fantastic, brave souls who are heading PRTs, provincial reconstruction teams. These are our civilian components on the ground there in Iraq. And we got a briefing from Baghdad with one of our PRT leaders here in Washington about the challenges and the tasks to help this Iraqi government get a country that can sustain and govern and defend itself.

No question in my mind, there are some very brave State Department officials who are engaged in this really important endeavor. And I want to thank them and their families.

I appreciate the advice I got from those folks in the field. And that advice is an important part, an important component of putting together a new way forward in Iraq.

Like most Americans, this administration wants to succeed in Iraq, because we understand success in Iraq would help protect theUnited States in the long run.

We also talked about the neighborhood, the countries that surround Iraq and the responsibilities that they have to help this young Iraqi democracy survive. We believe that most of the countries understand that a mainstream society, a society that is a functioning democracy, is in their interests. And it's up to us to help focus their attentions and focus their efforts on helping theIraqis succeed.

I appreciate so very much the Iraqi leadership taking the lead in its neighborhood. After all, one of the things we're trying to do is help this government get on its feet so it can govern and it can conduct its own foreign policy.

But the role of America is to help this young democracy survive. I'm looking forward to continuing my deliberations with the military. There's no question we've got to make sure that the State Department and theDefense Department are -- the efforts and their recommendations are closely coordinated so that when I do speak to the American people, they will know that I've listened to all aspects of government, and that the way forward is the wayf forward to achieve our objective: to succeed in Iraq.

And success is a country that governs, defends itself, that is a free society, that serves as an ally in this war on terror. And the reason why that's vital is because Iraq is a central component of defeating the extremists who want to establish safe haven in the Middle East, extremists who would use their safe haven from which to attack theUnited States, extremists and radicals who have stated that they want to topple moderate governments in order to be able to achieve assets necessary to effect their dream of spreading their totalitarian ideology as far and wide as possible.

This is really the calling of our time, that is, to defeat these extremists and radicals, and Iraq is a component part, an important part of laying the foundation for peace. And so Madam Secretary, thank you for the briefing. I want to thank your team here in Washington for their good work, and I thank those out in thefield who have shown such incredible bravery to do the hard work necessary to secure our country.

Thank you all.

Senators at our PRT

Sen. Lieberman chatting with locals over Andrew Johnson's shoulder.

CPT Olsen with Sen. McCain.

SGT Good, (whom I have to thank for most of these photos), with Sen. McCain.

Joe Lieberman with a local Iraqi Attorney who was part of this meeting.

John McCain with Ali, (Sadr City Econ. Committee Chairman), a local woman, and LTC Fink (Security and Intel. for our compound) in the background.

Senators

Heres CPT Olsen and I yucking it up before the Senators emerge from their meeting.

Here's Joe Leiberman emerging first, right behind Poppa Daddy P.

Here's John McCain waiting on me to take a picture with Lindsey Graham.

Joe Leiberman, with us in the background (off camera), chatting to Lindsey Graham and John McCain.

This is me trying to take my own photo with Lindsey Graham. The trouble with Senators blowing through is there's so many wanting to take pictures with them - there's noone to hold your camera, and no time to get them all.

Slow Week . . .

Its been a slow week. Our week starts on Saturday. Friday's a day off (for everyone except our Company). Saturday's usually a half-day, (for everyone except our Company).

So Saturday started off by getting mortared up in Khadamiya. Tuesday I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal. For those that missed it . . . I will repeat . . . Tuesday I was quoted in America's best paper - The Wall Street Freaking Journal. I'm working on figuring out how to post it, copyright issues and whatnot. I can probably post a portion of it, (to view it online requires a subscription). For those with a subscription, like Markus McCarthius Maximus, you should search Tuesday's section for Greg jaffe's story called "Army Crunch".

So then Today, Wednesday, rolls around and I get to bump elbows with Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman, John Thune, Susan Collins and OUR OWN LINDSEY GRAHAM!!! BOOYAH!!! They came right to our PRT! (There's a President and VP in their somewhere).

Of course one of the staffers I handed my camera to took some shifty pictures. So this is all I have today. Hopefully I'll have better pics in the days to come.

Saturday's the big 33. Slow Week so far.

The Prodigal Son Returns . . .

. . . to blogging. Apologies for the hiatus. I took a break after the halfway point. The real reason is I've been busy as hell. Lots going on in the Governance Section, (and seeds to plant).

Thanks to Engie, Ma, Amander and everyone else that sent packages and seeds!

They will be put to great use I assure you.


INCOMING MORTARS . . .

OK, just one.


Jihadi fires mortars, and I don't care.

Jihadi fires mortars, and I don't care . . . (to the tune of "Jimmy Crack Corn").

Indirect Fire's become boring. Its so Summer 2006. I want a chance to shoot the bastards that launch them. And yes, kill them, and watch them bleed to death, (if I'm lucky). Don't think I'd lose sleep over it. Now, or in the future. And I've thought about it. (you know me.)

That's not unchecked braggadocio. Its personal. You need to have it happen to you. And I haven't seen or experienced any fraction of the worst of it. But its meant to terrorize you. Which it effectively does for maybe the first 5 months. My attitude used to be, "Holy Shnikes! Head for the hills! The Sky is Falling! By the beard of Zeus!!"

Now, its an annoyance. A hindrance. A time-waster. A provocation, and an impotent gesture of self-hatred. A finger-poke in your eye by an ass-clown 3 miles away.

You spend some time here, and like anywhere else, you get to know the characters. These jizz-buckets will shake your hand. I've probably shaken a few with blood on their hands. They're not terrifying nether-world creatures from a dark nightmare. They're fat, lazy double-y chromosome, inbred retards. Most are illiterate, and would agree with you if you could talk to them. They're balding, failed businessmen, with limps. They watch Manchester United Soccer games (a clear sign of evil). They have hemmhoroids, and wear reading glasses. They beat one of their wives when the chores aren't done. (ALL THE CHORES - THE MEN DO NOTHING) They think nothing of the carnage they launch from a tube. They're not strategists, and not effective. Just grocery clerks for a mad-blind incoherent dogma. "Launch a rocket or two today?" "Na, I'll get around to it tomorrow. Big games on tonight."

Its no more important than the impish, punkish, childish sense of insecure bravado they get, and the money they're paid to do it. These pre-cognitive homo-limpoids do not qualify as human. They are dingle-berries. Silly. Playing a lethal game of paintball.

Unconcern for their own lives is merited. I reccomend ritual suicide out in the desert. Complete and comprehensive lack of concern for other lives . . . others who might be evolving opposable fore-fingers, might be dancing, might be taking off the hijab for a minute in front of the mirror, might be - I dunno - learning to read, or practicing for school, teaching their young son how to ride a bike, playing soccer in the back garden - - - the lack of concern for these lives, (not to mention the Great Satan's soldiers who are laboring mightily to get just one toilet seat working in this whole G-D country before some ass-hat comes along and blows it up) - that's what's MADDENING.

I don't think the creature exists, or has ever existed in the world or in history - that is more contemptible, that represents more comprehensive a failure and regression - than the (Arab) Mohammedan franchise jihadi. If ever a group self-nominated for extermination - THIS IS IT, people. They are begging us . . . .

Thanksgiving

Go to Pappa Daddy P's blogsite, ("Major Mike"). His pictures are way better then mine. I took mostly video, which I can't post. It was, by the way, SPECTACULAR.

Econ Confab

This is a peek at the kind of stuff we do. This is what has become a regular meeting for the Econ guys and the Econ. Committee Chairmen of District Government. We're selling "micro-finance", and they're buying. That is to say, the idea of us giving money to individual Iraqis via the loan officer of their choosing - for small business ideas, is popular with the recipients. Microfinance shows great promise, and we're expecting nothing less here. (In many other countries where its been tried - its the access to cash for women's business ideas; small seamstress shops, and tailories) that are transforming whole economies from the ground up.
The distinguished panel and speaker.
From another angle.
Myself and Jabar Duleimi, former Chairman of Mansour District Council, (now Vice-Chair), and friend.

Sleepover

Sometimes our work requires a little more than is required. In "making things happen," often a little extra is required, such as when one of our new terps comes in well-ahead of anyone being able to receive him. He has to sleep at the office, and therefore SGT Morris and CPT Olsen do too. It's nobody's fault - just the nature of the biz, and the nature of this environment - as if it needed saying. Problems arise when someone in the "making things happen" chain doesn't go beyond the call of duty, and takes their lard-ass home without helping you. Its generally a collaborative effort, with bloated bureaucrats, State Dept. wienies, Military dunderlings, and contractors helping each other out. It all comes back to you. But rare is the day that you don't meet someone that doesn't belong here, doesn't belong outside their pool-hall lounge-act back home, much less a warzone in Iraq.
Here's CPT "O-Town" on a cot watching a lap-top movie shortly after quittin' time - at the office.

Marathon

There was an IZ marathon one morning, (rare morning that I was driving to work). This is the same route I take walking. The runner's are tiny blips and the photo quality not so hot - I include these mostly to show you what the IZ looks like. Before coming, I'd assumed it was a bustling city-center.

Hardly. This was mostly Saddam's private retreat and its environs, GOVT Buildings, Palaces, etc - off-limits to 99.7% of Iraqis.

And you don't want "bustling" in the Mid-East. Trust me. The city outside our T-walls teems with gnarled traffic, street commerce and sewage and trash. As you can see, the IZ itself is criss-crossed with T-walls. Not so much suburban as much as a labyrinthine white-collar prison. You have environs - you just can't see them - until you pass through the particular security gate.

Pappa Daddy P

Pappa Daddy P is now Peerless Emperor of the Econ Section. Here he sits in one of his characteristic poses.
. . . And limbered up - ready to discuss the merits of micro-finance, top-shelf cigars, New Hampshire, subversive liberals, the time he crashed into Ringo Starr in Charles DeGaulle Airport, how my humidor needs regular maintenance, or how retaaaded your accent sounds.
MSG. A little flava. MSG Garcia. These guys all round out the Econ Section. Not Pictured are the ones who go home at the appropriate hour. These night-owls all stick around as I do. More productive after 1PM than before it, (perhaps), like me.
Jack Zacharia. The Legend. Jack's the scion of a very successful, Christian Iraqi Business Family. He knows absolutely everything, (or he makes it up).
The ever camera-shy MAJ Lawson. New to our team. We breakfast together regularly.

Prosperity

SGT Barini, or "Barney" as we call him, after an illiterate SPC mispronounced his name back at Bragg when we were in some line for some kind of shot. Barney's head hit the floor, cause he knew Clifford Phipps heard it - from the wails of laughter that belong to Cliff alone. That's the kicker with nick-names. Barney's our token Fijian, who supports the coup there. He's also the only one I can talk Rugby too, and for the guys back in "the ATL". - he knows Sidi! (small Island).
Prosperity's a camp here in the IZ where we go to get the real work and upgrades done to our trucks. This is one of the innumerable palaces that got acquainted with the JDAM munition on the night of "Shock and Awe."

A pity, because as I've learned - they'll all have to be demolished. You can't plaster the cracks and hang new "Blood of the Martyrs of American Aggression" drapes on an Arab-built stone and concrete monolith after its foundation's been cracked and the door's blown off by the Air-Force.

But make no mistake - if we leave without demolishing them - they'll be standing ten years hence with squatters and vegetable markets in them.

THE DESERT ZAMBONI. We found this one in another lot near us, and had to preserve the wit for all posterity. (see below).
Desert Zamboni. I love all that that connotes.

Halfway

Halfway. Wow. Feels like I've been here a lifetime, yet I can't recall more than two or three days here. Perhaps thats memory suppression. Perhaps it'll all come back when I'm elsewhere.

The weather is soo nice. I didn't know Baghdad could be this hospitable, livable. It heats up to about 80 at 2 PM, then cools to as low as 40 now during the night. We started using the heater this week. Mostly because Cliff's a woman.

A Milestone, and yet . . .

In spite of all the bad news, maybe because of it - some glimmers of hope have arisen in Baghdad. I can't eleborate for several reasons, but maybe CNN and FOX and others will in the months to come. Its so enticing, thrilling, seductive to be so near the center of the world's attention and to be two weeks to two months ahead of the news cycle, (on some subjects they're ahead of us - I get alot of my Baghdad news from the same sources you do). But on other subjects - the media has no way of knowing. Either its "secret-squirrel shit" within the Army, or some insider information from the State Dept. And a very rare sometimes - it develops within your grasp and runs out between your fingers like water.

Hope springs eternal . . . Its every bit as human, every bit as axiomatic, the twin - of morose pessimism, desperation, emotional exhaustion. Every action, every pebble-drop in the big pond reverberates. Its never all bad or all good. Just as when the news seems all rosy, an unseen actor - our next and future enemy is sowing discord, exploiting, crouched and waiting. Invariably, and intuitively - when the news seems all bad, it isn't. And it can never be.

The enemies of evil bide their time, lay careful plans and wait. . . For history to call. The call to unite and overcome goes out, touches every broken human heart - and the exhausted and exasperated villain-curs recoil, in a horror that is singularly theirs.
Fear and sorrow comes to us all, and soon they will know it too. They own this brand of sorrow. For all eternity. The sorrow of Judas.
. . . it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Acts (ch. IX, v. 5)

Suffice it to say, (I can't help myself). There are folks who are fed up. There are folks who are discovering their voice. There are folks who have abandoned fear. When gluttonous fear overstays his visit, over-indulges in the heartache of millions, he becomes irrelevant and unwelcome.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Proverbs (ch. XVI, v. 32)

Halfway.

All the best to all who suffer for truth. Best regards to those who labor in obscurity for love of brother; humanity. Health to those who draw lines in the sand.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalms (ch. I, v. 3)

God save the heroes of Iraq. May you all get to be acquainted with them. May history forget their enemies.
Remember Lot's wife. Luke (ch. XVII, v. 32)

May peace reign.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; . . . Ephesians (ch. II, v. 14)




They that sow in tears shall reap joy. [Psalms 126:5].

Vegetable Garden

Encouraged by previous successes, Abbas has asked me to solicit vegetable seeds from you.

Here he stands in the plot he's having the guys clear of weeds. Its got a dedicated pipe and hose, and its already subdivided into several paddies. Anything YOU CAN SEND will be appreciated. These guys can/will eat anything that succeeds, and in this plot (with full sun most of the day), and in this soil - I imagine they'll grow like weeds. And of course "Greenery in Baghdad" will be able to post to you your growing contribution to winning the hearts and minds in Baghdad. There's something like a food shortage here in places, owing to decreased agricultural production, inaccess to markets for farmers and such - and any of the myriad problems you can imagine with 47 security checkpoints and three car-bombs between a given farm and the produce markets in the city.

Here's myself and some of the guys on the same plot.

As always:

Mastin Greene

US Embassy Annex

MNFI PRT Baghdad

APO AE

09316

New growth, Old Garden

Fans of this website will remember the Marigolds which sprouted first in the first "Garden" posting. Well, here they are at about four weeks.Lovely color, growing strong.
Lillies, which hadn't sprouted before, now litter the bare area.
A Black-eyed Susan taking shape.

More lillies, of at least three varieties.

Garden Expansion

Regular readers will recall the beginnings of a garden at the PRT. Well, Alex from Britain came back from R&R with more seeds so we expanded it to include another lanscaping plot. Here's a row of sunflowers shooting up about three days after we planted them.

About three inches tall now, they've been growing for about 12 days now.

A sprig of corn shooting up.

Some kind of creeping vine that Alex planted.

Another view of another vine.

Saddam's Apartment

Folks will recall from previous post, this apartment was burning after the invasion. (Still haven't gotten to the bottom of that).

This is the way the place has looked since we got here. Scaffolding and "under repair."











And here it is one fine morning. Work complete, scaffolding gone.

Those are two Brits going to work, in the foreground. Noticeable for their different camouflage patterns.











Shiny and new . . .













And then here recently, amidst some of the Iraqis turning up for work, a low cloud - barely visible behind the blue dome.

It was a neatly shaped and peculiarly dark cloud. Peculiar too, that it was all alone.

My worries proved true. This was the wafting smoke on a cool morning from a car bomb that struck near the IZ.