Tuesday night is karaoke night in Saddam's palace

[donsu]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HE06Ak03.html

Party on at Saddam's palace

Tuesday night is karaoke night at Saddam Hussein's former Republican Palace in central Baghdad's fortified Green Zone.

To the beat of the music, Iraq's latest conquerors triumphantly take to a stage that dominates the inner courtyard of what is today the temporary US Embassy in Baghdad and bawl out old rock 'n' roll and blues anthems to their heart's content.

A few meters away, soldiers take off their shirts to play volleyball, State Department contractors have a party on the lawn, and bikini-clad embassy workers splash in the swimming pool. All an awe-struck British journalist gazing over the scene for the first time can do is absent-mindedly mumble, "It's Saigon all over again."

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Peruvian private security men recently gave one visitor a particularly thorough pat-down at the last guard booth before the palace before starting to run an explosives-sensitive sensor over him. Seeing him, his colleague told him in Spanish not to bother. "Let him go, he's American, not Iraqi."

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The majority of US diplomats come on short, three-month rotations to Baghdad. With Iraq already recognized as the definitive US military adventure of the 21st century, word in the State Department is that a short posting in Baghdad is essential for career-minded young diplomats looking for rapid promotion.
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it's a done deal

Peruvian private security men? PERUVIAN!

the green zone might be a good gig - - however - they are breathing the same D.U. laden air.