Baghdad Karaoke
Inside the Green Zone

Article by: Andy Stefanek, April 2007

And don't think you'll get off lightly by flying into Baghdad on a commercial flight: your plane will drop into a steep spiral decent from thousands of feet above the airport in order to avoid the gun-toting insurgents desperate to shoot it down.

The drive from the airport to the International Zone (Green Zone), on Route Irish, usually takes place in the middle of the night on a vehicle called a RHINO - think of it as a heavily armoured school bus able to withstand roadside bombs. The RHINO is escorted by armed military Humvees and Blackhawk helicopters. The journey is only seven miles, but takes you down what's become known as the world's most dangerous road.

A coffee shop and cafeteria dominate the grand ballroom, which is also used for nightly yoga, step aerobics and jujitsu classes.

Once inside the Green Zone you're relatively safe. There are few kidnappings, car bombs or murders here. The biggest worry is the mortars and RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) that are continually hurled over the Green Zone's high cement walls. Sirens wail and loudspeakers shriek 'Incoming!' and 'Duck and cover!' at all hours of the day and night. Travelling outside the Green Zone is not advised, and is often illegal without a Personal Security Detail (PSD) team. If you travel with one of these you'll be kitted out in a helmet and body armour for your journey in a bulletproof SUV, and accompanied by the usual convoy of Humvees.

Make-shift stores called Haji marts have sprung up inside the Green Zone, boosted by the sales of their most popular item: bootleg DVDs. You can find recent Hollywood releases videotaped off the movie screen for $1.50 each. Another popular item is Persian rugs; a high-quality silk Qum rug from Iran costs around US$600, a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere.

Inside the Green zone is an even more secure area called the Embassy Complex. This is the seat of the coalition government, and the living quarters for nearly all state department workers and contractors, as well as many soldiers. Armed guards are stationed at all entry points, checking government-issued ID cards.

The focal point of the embassy complex is the palace. Once one of Saddam Hussein's grandest pads, this impressive building is now used by the coalition. A coffee shop and cafeteria dominate the grand ballroom, which is also used for nightly yoga, step aerobics and jujitsu classes. Just outside the palace is the swimming pool area, which has volleyball courts, horseshoe pits and a stage for Wednesday night karaoke. It's nothing short of surreal to watch a soldier in uniform, packing a weapon, singing Willie Nelson or Britney Spears while helicopters fly overhead.

Sirens wail and loudspeakers shriek 'Incoming!' and 'Duck and cover!' at all hours of the day and night.

There are a few open-air bars inside the complex; the US government has been busy trying to shut them down. So far, they're succeeding, forcing embassy staff to frequent the bars and restaurants outside the complex. The Baghdad Country Club is a popular choice. The FBI also has a well-liked bar called O'Neills - it rocks on a Saturday night. Many other bars open and close within a few months, so you have to keep your ears open for the new place to go.

There are only two real tourist sights inside the Green Zone. The Hands of Victory are two sets of enormous crossed swords grasped by giant stone hands. Erected in the late 80s to commemorate Iraq's dubious victory over Iran, the hands are exact replicas of Saddam's. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is nearby.

Baghdad is still many years away from being a safe tourist destination. There's much repair to do before it, and Iraq, can be returned to the glory it knew as Mesopotamia.