Time In Baghdad

Iraq 2011: Jet skiing the Triangle of Death, listening to Bee Gee covers in ...

Best Defense roving Middle East correspondent

The taxi driver to Beirut airport tells me that yom al-qiyama (the day of judgment) is approaching. There will be a big explosion soon -- a very big explosion. The revolutions sweeping the Arab World are not good. Islamic parties will come to power everywhere. There will be no more Christians left in the Middle East. Believe me, believe me, he insists. In anticipation, he will make the Hajj to Mecca this year, inshallah . I tell him that I am traveling to Iraq as a tourist. The look he gives me in the rear view mirror says it all: He thinks I am crazy.

I am heading back to Iraq nine months after I left my job as Political Advisor to the Commanding General of U.S. Forces Iraq. Earlier this year, a Sheikh emailed me from his iPad, "Miss Emma we miss you. You must come visit us as a guest. You will stay with me. And you will have no power!" I am excited and nervous. The plane is about a third full. I am the only foreigner. I look around at my fellow passengers. I wonder who they are and whether they bear a grudge for something we might have done.

The flight is one and a half hours long. I read and doze. As we approach Iraq, I look out of the window. The sky is full of sand and visibility is poor. But I can make out the Euphrates below. Land of the two rivers, I am coming back.

I do not have an Iraqi visa. Visas issued in Iraqi Embassies abroad are not recognized by Baghdad airport. I have a letter from an Iraqi General in the Ministry of Interior, complete with a signature and stamp. In the airport, I present my passport and letter, fill out a form, pay $80, and receive a visa within 15 minutes. I collect my bag. I am through. I want to reach down and touch the ground, this land that has soaked up so much blood over the years -- ours and theirs.

I spot the Fixer. We grin at each other as we shake hands. Soon we are in his car speeding down the airport road -- that we called Route Irish -- towards the Green Zone. I can't see any Americans. Not on the roads, not on the checkpoints. Iraq looks normal - for Iraq. What is new? What has changed? The situation is not good, he tells me. The government is bad. Too many assassinations. We laugh and chat like old friends. The Fixer, who used to 'smuggle' me out of the Green Zone is now "smuggling" me back in. Leave it to me, he says, smiling and patting his chest with his hand.

Before long, I am sitting with my Iraqi hosts in their home, catching up with their news. I take a dip in their pool. It is 46 degrees (Centigrade). The brown of the sand-filled sky is broken by flashes of grey, white and yellow lightening. Later in the evening, the rolls of thunder are replaced by the thuds of mortars targeting the U.S. Embassy.

Time In Baghdad - News

Iraq 2011: Jet skiing the Triangle of Death, listening to Bee Gee covers in ...

I sit with a good friend, a female member of Parliament, in a café in Baghdad. We reminisce about 2007 and how we worked together closely to help bring down the violence that ravaged the country. It seems such a long time ago.

More international airlines inaugurate Iraq routes

Emirates began flying to the southern oil port town of Basra last year and was scheduled to launch flights to Baghdad at the same time before delaying the plans "due to operational reasons". The airline expects the passenger mix travelling in and out

Jamie Leigh Jones Claims After Iraq Rape Employer Held Her Against Her Will

Jamie Leigh Jones, now 26, was working her fourth day on the job in Baghdad in 2005 when she says she was assaulted by seven US contractors and held captive by two KBR guards in a shipping container. Jones, whose story was featured in an award-winning

Camp Ashraf to be closed by year-end: Zebari

TEHRAN – Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari reiterated Baghdad's position on Tuesday that Camp Ashraf, where the MKO members are held, should be closed by the end of the year. “Our position in this regard is clear. Camp Ashraf will be closed by the

Q&A with 'Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo' star Hrach Titizian

I have people commenting on the suit all the time. Our incredible costume team made the suit for me from scratch. So needless to say, it fits like a glove. From the suit, to the shirt, to the shoes and the belt, it's a very flashy and colorful outfit.

Just Too Much Free Time: Force on Force - Road to Baghdad

The guts of the book are the two large campaign series; the first covering the United States Marine Corps and the second the US Army. I say campaigns, and they do all logically follow each other, but they are more a series of individual scenarios to play. Throw in the campaign rules from the main book and you'll have a proper campaign readily playable. Each scenario covers the forces involved and their various stats, objectives for each side and any special rules. There are also some historical notes that cover the actual outcome of the real life. The maps for each scenario are presented as pencil drawings on jotter paper - very quirky but it fits in well to the overall style of the book. Lastly, there are three quick scenarios on Special Forces (Rangers, ODAs etc) involvement in Iraq. My main issue with the book is that it contains mostly asymmetric scenarios; fixed US forces while, generally poorer quality, opposing forces receive random reinforcements throughout the game. I'd have hoped, as the first book, for a bit more variation in the type of forces available - although I understand completely that this best reflects the historical accuracy of the game. Another impact of this is the amount of miniatures you'll need for the majority of the scenarios. The US forces will generally need 20-25 figures, plus any armour. The Iraqi forces however, will need 30+ and in a variety of Iraqi army, fedayeen and republican guard figures. Basically, you'll be forking out a lot more cash on the Iraqis than the US.