20100115-1345
Finally in Iraq! The first moments were kind of tense, considering the US military fanfare. Knowing we could be alerted by someone looking for a “commission.” If someone wanted to, and know the wrong people, they could tell them we were coming... but I shouldn’t get carried away.
The immigration officers on the Iraqi side have been very nice. No tea, but they did bring Pepsi! Conversation has been lively and refreshing. Sami has done all the translating. Funny - the officers don’t carry weapons because it is a safety issue. The Americans insist on weapons for the exact same reason.
Average 140 kilometers per hour to border.
Stark difference between Jordanian customs and Iraqi (pictures).
For awhile, we were worried that the Jordanians wouldn’t let us out. The military got involved and rolled up in two Humvees. I was thinking about what I might feel when interacting with soldiers. When it came down to it, I kept my distance. Not sure why, but I did remember my encounter with the [Israeli Defense Forces] when I was a peacemaker in Palestine. The American soldiers looked young and relatively at ease. Maybe I will talk to them on the way back. I was a little worried about risking getting the group turned back if they knew an ex-soldier was a part of the group.
Being mistaken as Iraqi by Jordanian customs.
The Major seeing the English, Hebrew, but not the Arabic on my shirt (and Jordan is an ally of Israel)... good litmus test
