United Colours of Bennetton, classy driving and questionable phrases.

There are a lot of nationalities out here doing various things. As far as civilians are concerned I guess there's everything under the sun, though I have not been here long enough to meet that many. Also I guess you need to be connected to an Embassy or something to get to meet the full range of nationalities.

It's worth mentioning something about the security personnel (by which I mean military, as opposed to private security companies). The checkpoints outside the IZ are manned by the Americans, but they are gradually handing over control to the Iraqis. At the many checkpoints around the IZ you'd think it is American military who are carrying out duties. From what I have seen, that isn't the case. Most I have come across are South Americans, Colombian I think. Good guys, ready to have a bit of friendly banter even though they are doing a really shitty job. They have to sit there under the hot sun for hours on end just checking people's badges and doing vehicle searches. Maybe they're bringing some goodies from back home to keep themselves from falling asleep from the monotony...

Then there's the Georgians. They're a different breeed altogether. Not respected. Everyone (apparently) looks down on them, including the Iraqis. I hear that in the past they have sometimes taken bribes and I know they are unduly aggressive in their approach to their work. When they drive around the IZ they speed around expecting everyone else to yield to them. When you see a military vehicle at the back of a convoy with someone sticking out the top manning a machine gun you need to keep a distance of 50-100 metres. In the IZ it's not really necessary for them to be sticking out the roof at all, as they are usually returning from the Red Zone and are obviously no longer in a hot area. Sometimes you inadvertently get within the range (for example if they pass through a roundabout and you're at one of the entries). With anyone but the Georgians, this is fine, but the Georgians do the universally understood sign for stop or keep your distance, which is a raised fist on a straight arm. This means, come any closer and we might shoot, and they mean it. It's just not necessary in the IZ though, which is why everyone gets pissed off with them because they're being over the top. But they're the ones with the guns, so I just stay back.

Driving here generally is pretty bad, but very funny. Nobody seems to know how to use a roundabout, so basically the biggest vehicles (or the Georgians) have right de facto right of way. It is pretty amusing. Some of the overtaking is pretty classy too. This place makes India look like a driving school.

A PSD was taking personnel out of Baghdad the other day. Their vehicles were properly marked, i.e. had their company logo on the side, so they could easily be identified as a PSD and not a militia. This is required as they have armed vehicles front and back. Anyway, they were passing through an American checkpoint, and the Americans started shooting at them. Unbelievable. They were properly marked, so what was the deal? You have to wonder why they arm kids to the teeth and don't ensure they can read or carry out basic mental functions to make decisions that, ultimately, other people's lives depend on.

Which got me thinking, why the hell do they call that sort of incident "friendly fire"? Doesn't sound very friendly to me. "Yeah I'm just off to Pete's for a barbeque, we'll pound a few beers, eat some steaks and maybe fire a few rounds at each other, it'll be great". Just like the term "collateral damage" which has always made me sick. I'm sure it's not very "collateral" to the people you're killing or their families.

For that matter, why does the word "stutter" have so many t's, or "stammer" so many m's? Why is phonetic spelled with a "ph"?