More on Iraq

This is a horrible story from Iraq, the fundamentalists are insane thats all there is to it.

Among the agonies imposed on Baghdad by tormentors in the guise of self-appointed religious enforcers is the proscription of fun. Novelty, convenience, any kind of post-Quranic ease from hardship infuriates them. Ice cream is an abomination, as is mechanized garbage collection, because such delights didn't exist in the time of the prophet. A story is told that last year, on a road overtaken by jihadis, a DVD purveyor was ordered to close because DVDs didn't exist in the time of the prophet. "Neither did the BMW you drove up in," he responded. "When you come back and tell me again on a camel, then I'll listen." They shot him some days later, for his insolence.

Imagine, therefore, the onus of courage on anyone who dares open an art gallery, let alone keeps it running since January 2006 with 26 shows and as many receptions.

Then there was this article about IED's. It displays how the greatest equipment and training in the world is still no match for cheap plentiful weapons and home field advantage. The only thing sorely lacking from this was the mention of why high explosives are so easy to come by in Iraq. There was a report from the early days of this war about a munitions dump containing enough explosives that every citizen in Iraq could build an IED from what was stolen at this site. Some people claim that munitions would have been something of a high priority to defend following the collapse of saddam, but we had other priorities namely securing the oil ministry. I wish I could find that report but I just don't have that kind of time.