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DEL.ICIO.USCamp Liberty a bazaar place
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Camp Liberty, Iraq — It’s not exactly Phipps Plaza or Lenox Square, but the bazaar at this sprawling base is a popular hangout for 48th Brigade Combat Team soldiers. Photos of the bazaar
The bazaar is a collection of shops owned by local Iraqis that cater to the eclectic tastes of soldiers, civilian contractors and journalists looking to unload a few greenbacks. In some cases, lots of greenbacks.
Saddam Hussein collectibles include ashtrays, gold-flecked china and paper money with the former dictator’s mustachioed mug on the front. Prices range from 50 cents for old Iraqi dinars — now the Middle East equivalent of Confederate dollars— to $700 for a set of gold-plated Saddam dishes.
Saddam himself resides a stone’s throw away at Camp Cropper, a high-walled prison complex ringed by miles of concertina wire. But apparently he’s not autographing any of the paraphernalia removed from his palaces.
“Too bad,� said Spc. Jose Colon, who was on his way to buy a TV and Sony PlayStation at the Liberty post exchange. “I might even buy some of that stuff if it had Saddam’s signature.�
Iraqi flags are a big seller at the bazaar, and some are embroidered with “Operation Iraqi Freedom: 2005-2006.� An enterprising flag manufacturer is probably already at work on the 2006-2007 version. (Personally, I hope he goes broke!)
Knives are a big hit with soldiers, and merchants at the bazaar stock everything from stilettos and switchblades to Iraqi army bayonets and ornate Arab scimitars.
Getting to the bazaar from Camp Stryker involves a long bus trip.
Actually, it’s a short ride, no more than five miles, but the buses run on “Iraq time,� which is pretty much whenever the bus driver feels like it. The mood seems to strike every 90 minutes or so, “Inshallah,� as they say here, roughly translated as “God willing.�
The Iraqi bus drivers must be related to the DVD pirates because before they drive they personally shake down every rider trying to get them to buy movies. Fortunately for photographer Curtis Compton and me, we were riding with some off-duty soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 295th Infantry Regiment from Puerto Rico who were willing to buy enough Terminator films to get the driver moving.
Baghdad aerial circus
For airplane buffs like me, the best part about being near Baghdad International Airport is the daily air show.
The densely populated areas around the airport provide plenty of cover for insurgents firing surface-to-air missiles and old-fashioned bullets. Several planes have been hit coming or going from in the last few years.
In order to stay over the protected part of the airfield as much as possible, pilots typically stay above 15,000 feet or so until they’re directly overhead. Then they drop the landing gear and flaps and start a steep, descending spiral. They keep the turns as tight as possible until the planes are almost directly over the runway. Then they level the wings at the last possible moment and touch down.
Tuesday I watched an Airbus A300, Boeing 727 and 737 make the plunging arrivals, as well as military transports including Marietta-built Lockheed-Martin C-130s and bulbous Boeing C-17s.
The stubby C-130s make the most dramatic approaches and use far less real estate than any other plane. The C-17s get style points for casting off bright red flares designed to fake out enemy missiles.
When planes take off from Baghdad, they make the same corkscrew pattern going up. As soon as their wheels leave the ground, they begin a sharp turn and stay directly over the airport as they climb above missile range.
I know the soldiers try not to think about it since their scheduled departure dates are 11 months away — but I’m sure they’re looking forward to the day they’ll board one of those planes for the long trip home.
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By Leslie Edge
June 22, 2005 10:04 PM | Link to this
Maj. Liston Edge Jr: We love you and pray everyday for your safe return. Stay alert and know Ryan, Logan and Leslie think about you constantly. We look forward to seeing you in Germany! XXOO