I was over for a briefing at the Coalition Provisional Authority headquarters in Saddam’s main palace today. It was interesting and useful. A lot of effort is being put into mobilizing normal Iraqis into political life and getting them to see things in ways other than as members of ethnic or religious blocs. Everything is on an accelerated track, with the target date being June 30. We’ll see if it works.
The Palace itself is a remarkable example of grandiose kitsch. Astonishing use of marble, carvings, and so forth, with lots of really, really tacky white, gold, and blue furniture. The swimming pool was pretty nice and looked very inviting (even in February), but overall the place was about as cosy and gemuetlich as a convention center or a Holiday Inn in Minneapolis.
I was also struck by the remarkable displays of weaponry and body armor. Baghdad has not only heavily armed American troops (and Estonians and others, as well, as the former Estonian prime minister, who is here, too, would remind me; an Estonian convoy was attacked today, but with no casualties), but huge numbers of private security guards of all sorts. Global Security, which handled much of the currency handover, has plenty of well armed Fijians about. There are Nepalese Gurkhas guarding the entrances to the CPA headquarters. I’ve overheard conversations in Italian and Greek among hugely muscled mercenaries with weapons strapped to every limb. If you’re in the business of protecting people, this is a good place to be. And God knows they need it.