Iraq's Green Zone Turns Redder by the Day

[DoYouEverWonder]

Oct 10, 2004

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - It was supposed to be the safest patch of land in Iraq, but instead is slowly succumbing to the creeping dangers stalking the rest of the country.

Baghdad's Green Zone, home to thousands of U.S., British and other coalition officials, as well as the headquarters of the U.S. military and the interim Iraqi government, was set up as an impregnable fortress against the mayhem outside.

In the beginning, the "Green" stood for healthy, protected, ready-to-go. Everything outside was dubbed the "Red Zone" -- unhealthy, dangerous, best not to go.

<snip>

In the last six months U.S. troops have carried out dozens of raids inside the Green Zone, targeting the estimated 10,000 Iraqis who live within its fortifications. Scores of arrests were made and some families moved out. Last month it emerged that Iraqi police had arrested four people on charges of plotting to kidnap two U.S. officials inside the zone, which houses U.S., British and other diplomats.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=EJBWLNHZS4FRMCRBAEOCFEY?type=reutersEdge&storyID=6460419&pageNumber=1

[barb162]

1. well I thought we had the airport and the Green Zone as the only

two safe places in all of Iraq. Not! Everything else is a mess there, why not those two little areas. I am sort of surprised the Iraqis haven't beeen shooting more planes down with missiles. It sure is falling apart fast.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Thanks to sanctions and UN inspections

the Iraqis don't have much left of that sort of weaponry. However, Saddam made sure there was a semi-automatic in every pot. Plus it's easy to improvise bombs with stuff your can find laying around the kitchen.

[PartyPooper]

3. Even in Iraq it's "us" vs. "them" / red vs. green. / zone vs. zone.

"Either you're with us...or, against us."...as GWB says.

I reckon the flower shops in Iraq stopped handing out flowers for our troops some time ago.

:eyes:

[ScrewyRabbit]

4. Is this news? They've been getting mortar rounds in there

...for months on end. I guess "green" means that you could be killed by an unannounced round at any time. But of course none of this is covered on prime-time television. "Part of the risk of being there", or some such horseshit.

I have a friend in the medical corps who travels the highways on a regular basis. Some of his time is spent in Baghdad. I fear for his life every day.

[barb162]

5. I put a WSJ reporter's account called "From Baghdad" a few

hours ago in General Discussion. It shows how no roads are safe, lots of mines being put in the roads all the time, lots of snipers at rooftops, etc. The whole country has no security and anything goes. The reporters in Baghdad now travel around in armored cars with security personnel and all of them live in highly secure hotels near or in the green zone. So no real news is getting out as the reporters fell staying alive is their main goal, not reporting stories. So we end up hearing the Bush or Rummie version of reality. People are no longer interested in voting in a few months. The few people interviewed said they'd vote for Saddam to get their security back. I hope your friend gets out of there safely.

[w4rma]

6. It's news that it's in the American news (nt)

[number6]

7. for the PNAC-Buch regime Iraq is FUBAR.

eos

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. How do they explain how "foreign agitators" got into the

green zone, I wonder?