Pentagon Forgot Remote U.S. Base on Iraq-Iran Border

[The Straight Story]

Pentagon Forgot Remote U.S. Base on Iraq-Iran Border


For the American soldiers manning Joint Security Station Wahab, Iraq, near the border with Iran, life has been a mix of espionage and being forgotten. The soldiers guarding the remote outpost, all from the 4th Brigade of the Army’s 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, endured the annoyance of not having any portable toilets for a while because the Department of Defense cancelled the contract for Wahab station. Apparently, some official forgot the troops were still out there, forcing the men to use disposable waste bags until new toilets arrived.

Soldiers also have had to live with no running water and intermittent mail service—but plenty of “spy vs. spy” action. Because of the checkpoint’s close proximity to Iran, Americans regularly spot their counterparts on the other side of the border, exchanging glares and “one-finger salutes.”

U.S. troops at this outpost are likely to be some of the last to leave Iraq. They are training Iraqi soldiers to properly watch the area once a new civilian border crossing opens nearby, which will allow thousands of Iranian religious tourists to enter the country. Washington fears Iran will use the crossing to infiltrate Iraq with agents.

http://www.allgov.com/US_and_the_World/ViewNews/Pentagon_Forgot_Remote_US_Base_on_Iraq_Iran_Border_100501

[old mark]

1. OOPS! This stuff happened a lot in the Vietnam era, but it's harder to

excuse now with instant and more reliable communications.
Just is no cure for stupid, I guess. I hope this is now rectified....

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