A U.S. soldier walks past the U.S. embassy in the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 3. (Getty Images)
I spotted the above picture on CNN, used to illustrate the Associated Press' article about how --surprise!-- the massive, "Vatican-sized" US Embassy compound in Iraq is experiencing delays and cost overruns.
Neato that such obvious advice requires posting! I wonder how many signs they put up?
5 comments:
I thought there was no liquor allowed in Baghdad at all.
Wait, maybe that just applies to U.S. Armed Forces, not the $100 an hour rent-a-soldiers and those perky Blackwater kids.
The MNF-I forces can't drink, but the Marine guards attached to the State Department for embassy security can (because they have somewhere to store their weapons when they're off duty, mainly). The Staties and the civilians can all drink, and do. There used to be a bar/liquor store in the Green Zone, but it closed early this year after the Iraqi government made it too tough to get the stuff imported.
Under Saddam, liquor was widely available in Baghdad. Iraqis are partial to whiskey, including some locally distilled stuff.
That sign is only at the pool, which is the main social venue. Everybody's armed all the time, so much so that you forget about it, it's not as silly as it looks.
This ought to prevent drunken Blackwater kids from shooting people just for the hell of it.
So if we have a "Vatican sized" embassy, do we have one room dedicated to ancient pornographic illuminated texts and pottery? Is it available on the public tour?
Cry, the beloved country ...
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