Life in battened-down Baghdad [Self-preservation U.S. soldiers' goal]

Life in battened-down Baghdad

Armoured city sends mixed messages
Self-preservation U.S. soldiers' goal

MITCH POTTER

BAGHDAD—The grimaces on these young American faces speak volumes, however monosyllabic their words may be. Turkey Day has come and gone, and that whisper of a visit from President George W. Bush barely echoes now in the ears of his troops in Iraq.

A young corporal named Bourgeois corrected a reporter yesterday when asked whether the president's dramatic night-time foray brought any kind of levity to his personal slog in Baghdad, now a stale seven months old.

The first answer, an embittered, dirty look. Then, grudgingly, to fill the dragging silence: "They said he came to Baghdad, but it was really only BIAP." (Translation: Baghdad International Airport, in army-speak.)

/snip/

This is an armoured city now, so battened-down against the terror insurgency it barely resembles the Baghdad of April, when giddy Iraqi children swarmed like seagulls around smiling U.S. Marines and army infantry units.

/snip/





"Turkey Day has come and gone"


Why do I think they are NOT referring to the BIRD ??

And it looks like the Photo-OpalMeister didn't fool the troops one bit!!

It is interesting about the gas problems and also the problems with electricity. There isn't much about that in the US papers.

Thanks for the link.

with his short 2 hour stay. Basically he gave the appearance of not having any faith in our troops ability to defend their C&C.

Just my 2cents.