Merry Christmas

Merry freakin' Christmas from Baghdad everyone!

Just Row

I’m getting to the gym on most days; it is a welcome break in the middle of the afternoon. But with more visits comes the need to change up the routine. I usually mix 30 minutes on the elliptical with weights. But in the last few days, I’ve discovered the rowing machine. Lately, I’ve taken to rowing 5000 meters which takes around 25 minutes and is more strenuous than the elliptical machine.

Rowing also has a metaphorical meaning out here which is best articulated by a quote, posted in our office space, from the movie, Ben Hur: “Now listen to me, all of you. You are all condemned men. We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well, and live.” So says Quintus Arrius. In many ways, the headquarters staff is the ship and we, the staff officers, keep it moving inexorably forward. From our narrow view, we can neither see the ultimate destination nor get a sense of the ship’s course. We can, however, hear the drum and see some of the water rushing by in between strokes.

With the holidays upon us, five of my co-workers are taking their mid-tour rest and recuperation leave and will be gone for at least three weeks, when travel to and from the US is taken into account. Two of my co-workers will first take their leave and then perform a three-week assignment on the east coast. In short, there are fewer rowers. The acting chief of our planning shop, the same Navy captain who greeted me in the transient tent on my first day, advised those of remaining that we’ll have to “row faster.”

Al Faw Palace

Last week, I attended the big New Comer’s Brief, held at Victory Base Complex (VBC) at the famous Al Faw Palace. Saddam built the Al Faw Palace to commemorate the Al Faw campaign fought during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). It’s one of the more opulent palaces and, today, serves as the headquarters for Multinational Force Iraq (MNF-I). The brief is held one a month and provides some insight into all the moving parts that make up MNF-I, US Mission Iraq (USM-I) -- the State Department’s presence, Multinational Corps Iraq (MNC-I), the subordinate command to MNF-I made up of actual multinational divisions (MNDs), and various other commands involved in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Getting there from the IZ meant another Rhino outing. Between forty and fifty of us from the IZ made our way, wearing bulky IBA and helmets, to the staging area near the Embassy and rode over early in the morning. I got another daytime view of Route Irish which now, seemed almost familiar and routine. Like my previous ride in the State Department Suburban convoy, Route Irish and the surrounding Sunni neighborhoods looked well inhabited with a fair share of civilian traffic riding along the route. Coalition member troops and Iraqi Army personnel manned various check points along the way and all looked well organized.

The Rhino convoy dropped us off within walking distance of the Palace which sits in one of the man-made lakes that dot the VBC. One enters the palace via a causeway over the water. The central room of the palace features one of the biggest chandeliers ever built (although it is made mostly of plastic) which is nevertheless, impressive.

Also in the central room is a famous throne, or more accurately, a big gaudy couch, presented to Saddam by former Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) chief, Yasser Arafat many years ago. It’s a favorite picture spot with CF members. It features a representation of the Al Aqsa Mosque, also known as the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem.

During the briefing, held in an adjoining ballroom, my eyes wandered to the ceiling which featured inlaid designs with Saddam’s now familiar initials, carved in Arabic calligraphy. Even while daydreaming, Saddam demanded your attention when in one of his palaces.

Fleece Envy

Being winter, it’s surprisingly cold here, especially in the early morning, which is something none of us consciously thought of when preparing to deploy; at Ft. Jackson, we scoffed when we were issued black fleece jackets and over pants along with DCU patterned gortex hooded jackets and over pants. I certainly am laughing no more; being light of bulk (i.e., skinny) I regularly wear the black fleece jacket on my morning walk from Poolside Camp to the DFAC and on to the Palace. By mid-day, the temperatures here in Baghdad rise to the low, and comfortable, 70s F. The days of hellish 130F highs are still a long way off so, despite it being a little chilly, everyone is enjoying the mild weather.

Everyone, except for members of the U.S Air Force who, as it was recently identified by a force-wide email, are forbidden to wear the black fleece jackets that were issued to them by their parent commands before coming here. Currently, the Air Force is transitioning from DCUs to their newly designed Airman Battle Uniform (ABU), which features a light gray and blue “tiger stripe” digital pattern similar in concept to the Army’s Army Combat Uniform (ACU). Some of the Air Force personnel who have been here a while are still wearing DCUs and those more newly arrived sport ABUs. Regardless, it seems they are not allowed, per Air Force uniform regulations, to wear the black fleece jackets. Such are the penalties for maintaining “the high appearance standards of the Air Force,” as quoted in the email that went out.

The fellow Navy officer I replaced suggested I read, “Catch-22” while here. I am beginning to see why.

Perfume Palace

Most of my Navy colleagues from NIACT live and work at Camp Victory and work in several palaces there which sit, picturesquely, alongside man-made lakes. Nowadays, the palaces function as office space for Coalition Forces. On 29 NOV 07, I attended a meeting at the Perfume Palace at Camp Victory. According to some reports, this palace was used by Saddam’s sons, Uday and Qusay, as a sort of brothel. The palace got its name by those who claimed it still smelled like perfume when coalition forces entered it in the spring of 2003.

Getting there meant going in a daytime convoy, this time courtesy of the State Department. We left in a convoy of four up-armored black Chevy Suburbans operated by very tough, heavily armed, professional men dressed in civilian clothing. You get the idea. This would be my first opportunity to see Route Irish in the daytime.

We left in the early afternoon, making our way through the crowded streets of the International Zone eventually arriving at the check point that leads out to Route Irish. A warning sign, vaguely cold-war-esque, warned us we were leaving the International Zone and that weapons should be loaded. Out on the open road, I saw regular civilian traffic: passenger cars, bongo trucks, jeepnees, etc. After four years of dealing with armed coalition convoys, Iraqi drivers know to pull to the side of the road. Those in the know here tell me Route Irish has been clear for numerous months, reflecting the general drop in violence in Iraq. In the early days of the war, Route Irish was notorious for Sunni insurgent attacks and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). It earned the nickname, “IED Alley” and “the most dangerous road in Iraq.” Today, those dubious titles now belong to other routes and convoy operations between the IZ and Camp Victory have taken on an almost routine nature. Still, no one is slacking; stringent security measures remain in place.

Route Irish mostly is a straight, east-west route from downtown Baghdad to Camp Victory and the greater Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) cutting through traditionally Sunni neighborhoods. Along the route, Iraqi Police and Coalition check points check all traffic. Over concrete T-walls placed along the route, I caught glimpses of suburban neighborhoods constructed of the same sandstone brick so prevalent in Iraq. It makes for a monochrome landscape.

Our trip was uneventful and we arrived at Camp Victory, driving directly southwest to the Perfume Palace for our meeting. After our convoy parked, we were met at the door by our hosts who took us up six flights of marble stairs to the top floor of the palace. The roof is particularly ornate and is dominated by a spectacular, but mostly plastic, chandelier (unfortunately, no photos were allowed).

We didn’t get much time to sight-see; we were issued into an adjoining conference room and had our meeting. When it was over, we left the palace and drove back in the late afternoon to the Green Zone without incident.

Palace Thrones

While I may live in a trailer, I work in a palace. Saddam built many, many palaces throughout the country (I think they number in the low hundreds). Now that I’ve been in several, I can say that my bathroom experience has peaked. No longer need I frequent port-o-lets and wet crappers. Courtesy of Saddam’s former regime, I am in toilet nirvana.

The bathrooms in the Republican Palace all are lined with multi-colored marble and are large - about half the size of my trailer living space in some cases. The restrooms in the north ballroom were made to accommodate big functions and are quite spacious. The men’s room has a bank of urinals and upwards of fifteen toilets, each in their own marble-lined room with an oak door.

That Smell

Remember this post where I said Baghdad smelled different than Kuwait? It's burning garbage, FYI.