update at Bagdad Burning!

[annabanana]

A "girlblog" from inside Iraq...

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
edit to add excerpts

snip-
What people find particularly frustrating is the fact that while Baghdad seems to be falling apart in so many ways with roads broken and pitted, buildings blasted and burnt out and residential areas often swimming in sewage, the Green Zone is flourishing. The walls surrounding restricted areas housing Americans and Puppets have gotten higher- as if vying with the tallest of date palms for height. The concrete reinforcements and road blocks designed to slow and impede traffic are now a part of everyday scenery- the road, the trees, the shops, the earth, the sky… and the ugly concrete slabs sometimes wound insidiously with barbed wire.


snip-
A friend who recently got involved working with an Iraqi subcontractor who takes projects inside of the Green Zone explained that it was more than that. The Green Zone, he told us, is a city in itself. He came back awed, and more than a little bit upset. He talked of designs and plans being made for everything from the future US Embassy and the housing complex that will surround it, to restaurants, shops, fitness centers, gasoline stations, constant electricity and water- a virtual country inside of a country with its own rules, regulations and government. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Republic of the Green Zone, also known as the Green Republic.

The Americans won’t be out in less than ten years.” Is how the argument often begins with the friend who has entered the Green Republic. “How can you say that?” Is usually my answer- and I begin to throw around numbers- 2007, 2008 maximum… Could they possibly want to be here longer? Can they afford to be here longer? At this, T. shakes his head- if you could see the bases they are planning to build- if you could see what already has been built- you’d know that they are going to be here for quite a while

[annabanana]

1. kick on edit..n/t

[JohnyCanuck]

2. Iraq's introduction to the gated community.

The price of building materials has gone up unbelievably, in spite of the fact that major reconstruction has not yet begun. I assumed it was because so much of the concrete and other building materials was going to reinforce the restricted areas. A friend who recently got involved working with an Iraqi subcontractor who takes projects inside of the Green Zone explained that it was more than that. The Green Zone, he told us, is a city in itself. He came back awed, and more than a little bit upset. He talked of designs and plans being made for everything from the future US Embassy and the housing complex that will surround it, to restaurants, shops, fitness centers, gasoline stations, constant electricity and water- a virtual country inside of a country with its own rules, regulations and government. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Republic of the Green Zone, also known as the Green Republic.

[warrens]

3. The Bushies are trying to lock it down

They know a Dem will take over in 2008 and they're working to make sure they can't undo our occupation.

[annabanana]

9. We could turn the grounds and buildings over to the

Iraqis to use as schools and hospitals..
(The Green Zone already sounds like a big fucking amusement park)

[gordianot]

4. Almost sounds like Sim City. Bush attacking Baghdad

One of the Scenarios had Godzilla attacking Tokyo. Maybe they could make one with Bush attacking Baghdad.

[crikkett]

5. kick n/t

:kick:

[Just Me]

6. PNAC dictates taking up permanent residency.

The BushCO/neoCON administration will oppose any withdrawal plan because it conflicts with permanent US military presence in Iraq.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. Those 14 permanent bases state that US troops aren't going to be....

...pulled out anytime soon.

[Tesla]

8. Why don't * and his buddy's do us a favor

and move there!!!

[cthrumatrix]

10. wake up sheeple .... this talk of exiting is BS

[SlipperySlope]

11. thanks for posting - i hadn't checked riverbend in awhile.

[PATRICK]

12. Crusader castles

Ah the Europeans knew how to build them but not the permanent nation over which they might preside in security. Eventually these outposts will be weeded out just like Krak des Chevaliers and all the rest, built in a wrong application of the feudal system back home- minus the loyalty of the different culture. They will attract proud islamic tourists no doubt, if one stone is left upon another because the modern architecture is, well, comparatively flitting and shoddy.

Building bright new targets. In a turnabout it may be the sleaziest capitalists lured by the hunger for oil and the lust of a new conquest who may be drawn to the killing ground- and the terrorists learn to spin circles around the weakened army.

[bvar22]

13. The "Green Republic" ain't no Republic...

It IS a Military Police State or a "NeoCon Fiefdom".

[FreedomAngel82]

14. Newsflash

They aren't going to leave around 2008. They're planning long term. According to a guy who was on Bernie Ward's show last night they were building bases in Iraq way before we even entered Iraq. On http://www.informationclearinghouse.info there's a doc (I can't remember the name now) with General Clark in it and they're talking about training the Iraqi police. It was made back in January of this year. According to both the leader of the Iraqi army and Clark they won't be leaving for another four-five years with training the military at least.