But What About The Goat?

"I think that there's been great progress in the security front here recently in Baghdad," said Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, after meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. There were three car bomings in Baghdad today: The first explosion targeted a police patrol in A'dhamiyah four people were killed ten injured including four policemen. The second explosion in which two civilians were killed and four interior ministry commandos were injured could have been targetting either : Either the interior ministry commandos checkpoint in Ruba'i Street (East Baghdad). Or a convoy containing Lieutenant colonel Hussein Abdul-Wahed which was passing at the time. Nobody in his convoy was hurt. The third bombing was in al-Mashtal, it killed two civilians and wounded three others. In another sign of great progress new security equipment has been installed at the entrance points to the Green Zone. It's currently being operated by the Georgian troops at the Karadat Mariam gate. According to an email I got today there's a bit of a problem with the new equipment. The metal detectors take between three to four minutes to scan each person. The result was a queue of about 500 people who had to wait for hours. That's a major bombing/rocket attack just waiting to happen. According to the mail I got tempers got a bit frayed. How would you like to wait for two hours in Baghdad's summer heat with a large "sitting duck" sign pinned to your chest? Other signs of "great progress" were: One U.S. soldier and two gunmen were killed in a clash in south Baghdad. Another U.S. soldier died in a car bombing (I haven't been able to find out anything about that bombing as yet.) In Diyala governorate five civilians and three policemen were wounded in a bombing targeting a police patrol in Baquba. There was a rocket attack on the US base in Hit in al-Anbar. But What About Ben? But the big news of the day is that the British have scarpered from done a flit evacuated withdrawn from camp Abu Naji. That's the camp 5km south of Amara. They scarpered withdrew without notifying the provincial authorities - and who can blame them. Needless to say once word spread crowds of residents rushed to the camp and looted what the British left behind. Abu Naji has been under daily mortar attack lately. I hope when they did their flit withdrew they took Ben the goat (scroll down to the end of the linked page) with them. There's good eating on a goat. markfromireland