Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Shoulda asked the question ...

4 years ago. Seems the civilians working in Baghdad's Green Zone are getting scared:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. Embassy employees in Iraq are growing increasingly angry over what they say are inadequate security precautions in the heavily fortified Green Zone, where recent mortar and rocket attacks have claimed the lives of six people, including two U.S. citizens.

...

A second official called it "criminally negligent" not to reduce the size of the embassy staff, which a year ago was estimated at 1,000, in the face of the increasing attacks and blamed the administration's failure to respond on concerns that doing so might undermine support for President Bush's Iraq policy.

"What responsible person and responsible government would ask you to put yourself at risk like that? We don't belong here," the employee said, adding, "They're not going to send us home because it's going to be another admission of failure."

...


The same 'responsible government' who sent our troops there in numbers too few, with body armor too thin, with vehicles too underarmed, that's who. Dumb fuckers, at least the troops can shoot back. You motherfuckers got nothing but your Kevlar helmet and a below-grade flak vest.

Seems embassy duty in Baghdad was once a peach assignment, back when Bremer was running the show and the insurgents didn't have their infrastructure set up. Every Young Republican worth his salt wanted to work for the CPA. Now, it seems, not so much.

As for the admission of failure, well that's been obvious to everyone but Republicans for years now. Maybe this might wake up a buncha those young ideologues, realizing the Bush administration cares as much about them as they do the troops. They might realize that they are expendable in Cheney's mission to turn Iraq into a 'resource area' for American oil companies. Remember, you're only worth something to Bush if you put money in his pocket or you can give him a good photo op. What's been obvious to us as well is now hitting home for these ambitious young folks.

...

The officials also complained that important security precautions appeared to have been set aside during highly publicized official visits. During a March 31 visit from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a high-profile presidential candidate, the embassy lifted a requirement that bulletproof vests and helmets be worn at all times. When a rocket landed outside the U.S. Embassy while Vice President Dick Cheney and several reporters visited last week, no warning sirens were sounded.

"Where were the sirens then?" one official asked. "We don't belong here, and people are afraid to say it." [my ems]

...


Far be it anything makes it to cable news to show good things aren't 'just around the corner' nor is the insurgency in 'its last throes'. You can all die as long as John McCain can walk through that market in Indiana in Baghdad with relative ease, as long as Cheney can be seen to walk unfettered as he begs the Iraqis to pass the oil law lays down the law to those vacation-loving malingerers.

Poor babies. Oh well, that's the price you pay for being a loyal Republican. Kicking the shit out a buncha Ay-rabs ain't all it's cracked up to be now, is it? Being a REMF in a war zone is fun when they're not shooting at you but when you're facing incoming, that sphincter tightens a bit, don't it? Makes you wonder what you signed up for, huh? Look at the bright side. At least you ain't an infantry troop.

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