I just finished reading 16 posts from Salam Pax, and whew...what a read. I remember sitting on my comfy American butt, flipping through news channels, thinking of this stranger in Baghdad. Salam Pax was my one tenuous link to what might be going on over there.
Tonight I read about how he couldn't buy water, because looters had broken into the mint and stolen wads of cash, plus the plates and paper to make more. How many people hoarded their Dinars preparing for this war, only to have them rendered useless because the American military sat and watched a few ruthless thieves instead of stopping them? How do you get an American soldier to do something about the looting before his eyes? (no kidding) You run in front of the tank shouting "Ali Baba! Ali Baba!" -sigh
The good news is that my link-across-the-world is alive and his family appears to be intact. I can't imagine what he's going through, but his words are incredibly vivid. He's a voice in the wilderness, shouting out the injustices of all the parties involved, and I pray for his well-being.