As you can see, I recently took a trip to Baghdad to check things out. Here is what I found. These swords are freaking huge (you could fly a helicopter under them if it was allowed) and I was actually in Saddam's fist. These arms and fist were modeled after Saddam's. I also stood on the platform where Saddam gave his famous speech and fired his rifle in the air. It was a total dive. Everything of any value was gone and all the glass was broken. Sad really. You could tell that at one time the place was quite spectacular and a show piece of a tyrant.
It was quite interesting really. The parade field was built after the Iran-Iraq war. At the base of the swords is a plaque detailing the success of the Iraqi army and there are hundreds of "Iranian helmuts" litteraly pouring out of a bag and onto the parade field. This is supposed to sybolize the Iranians killed by the valiant Iraqi soldiers. There are also a lot of them acually cast into the concrete of the street and sticking out like speed bumps so that when he held parades, his tanks would drive on the "heads of the Iranians". The IZ (International Zone) is still wild, but lots of security is there. At no time did I feel threatened or scared (ok, maybe a little scared when I had to squeeze my big self up that narrow ladder into the fist above). The IZ is also called "the green zone" to laymen.
Yes, Mom, I recieved my Christmas packages. I must have forgot to mention them.
Let me finish with this thought:
Happy New Year, may it bring peace and togetherness!
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