BAGHDAD, Iraq
As I look out from the balcony of my hotel room, I can’t help but see the swimming pool down below as a metaphor for much of Baghdad and Iraq. Right now, the pool is empty and coated with a heavy dusting of sand and dirt, the grass around the pool half dead. The buildings and kids play areas rundown and long past their prime.
At the same time, it’s easy to see what it once was and could be. Sitting on the west bank of the Tigris, the pool and grounds could easily be a lush and luxurious oasis on a hot summer day. And, it really wouldn’t take much money or work to restore the pool to full glory, but it probably isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
For that matter, you should see my hotel room. I’m sure it hasn’t been updated since the hotel opened – which I’m guessing was in the 70s when it was probably a top-notch establishment. Certainly the bathroom tile screams 1975, and the peeling wallpaper looks about 35 years old. None of the cabinets or drawers close properly, you can see the raw ceiling through the various vents and cracks in the interior ceiling. Oh, and then there’s the fact that the door was kicked in at some point, and they simply glued the wood back together rather than replacing it.
And that’s what things feel like in general in this country. It’s easy to see the signs of past and potential future glory. The infrastructure is basically there. Roads, bridges, buildings, parks, monuments, museums… it’s all there – it’s just all dirty, chipped, rutted, neglected, or cordoned off behind massive slabs of T-Wall.
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Sean Carberry Baghdad, Iraq
April 10, 2010
BAGHDAD, Iraq
Reflections on the Embed
The sun is slowly creeping away for the night, and Baghdad seems rather peaceful. The Tigris River is shimmers as it meanders by, and lights are beginning to flicker on in the sand-colored buildings stretching along the banks. Some of the structures look healthy, others like hallowed out ghosts with massive war wounds. Traffic on the bridges is light, and there’s a very short backup at the checkpoint next to my hotel.
About the only thing that gives away the fact that there is/has been a war going on in this country is the sound and sight of the Blackhawk helicopters that pass by at least once an hour (a pair are passing by right now as I type).
The city seems quieter than my last visit a year ago, but that probably owes a fair amount to the rash of deadly bombings last week that have resulted in an increase in the number of checkpoints and security forces and a decrease in the number of people venturing out onto the streets.
Regardless of the reason, it’s hard to think of another adjective for the city right now other than “peaceful.” It feels like sitting along the Nile River in Cairo without the traffic, and car horns… well, and without the neon signs and lights of the river front clubs and party boats.
The evening call to prayer has just begun as I sit here taking a break from logging tape and making calls. The air is dry, and that perfect evening temperature that makes you want to sit outside all night with a bottle of wine (permitted here), and soak in the sounds of the city. I’m taking the opportunity to reflect on the embed I completed last week, and the moments and aspects that stand out.
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Sean Carberry Baghdad, Embed, Iraq, Kirkuk
April 1, 2010
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq (somewhere near Tikrit)
Images of the Great Depression dustbowl come to mind while riding around COB Speicher. The sprawling base sits in the vast, semi-arid plain that makes up a large portion of this country. Unlike the densely developed Victory complex in Baghdad, or the city that is Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, Speicher is sparse and spread out. There are scattered clumps of buildings that break up the dusty soil, and it can take 20 minutes to drive from one end of the base to the other.
And driving around you see little activity. As one soldier described it, that’s “the look of winning.” US forces are preparing to move out, and Iraqis are increasingly moving in. The Iraqi Air Force is conducting training flights here, and will grow their training operations as the US withdraws over the coming months. Because this base is so spread out, it diminishes the sense of activity. The mood in the dining halls is upbeat, and there is little of the tension or wariness that you feel at some of the bases in Afghanistan.
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Sean Carberry Baghdad, Dubai, Embed, Iraq, Kirkuk
BAGHDAD, Iraq
