DIYALA PROVINCE, Iraq - I was walking with a group of U.S. soldiers and edgi Iraqi soldiers with black facemasks pulled over their heads for fear of being identified by locals when this kid started sauntering up to us.For reasons not fully explained his family had dressed him up like a sheikh and sent him out to show off his costume.
The town we were in is centered around a turqoise-domed Shia shrine and residents aren't terribly friendly to Americans (the soldiers I was with said locals have a strong connection to Iranian militants, but such ties are always murky and sometimes overstated). The electricity had been out for a month and people were pissed.
I'm not sure if this kid lightened the mood or just deepened the weirdness. Just another day in Bizarro World.
Speaking of murky, here's a story I just wrote about the confusing battlfield soldiers operate on these days, including a freaky exchange I had with Iraqi Army soldiers/possible insurgents.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60212
1 comment:
Wow. That kid looks like a mini-Saudi.
I hope your distinction skills improve soon!
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