Black humour in Iraq | Samizdata.net

February 08, 2008
Friday

Black humour in Iraq

Perry de Havilland (London) Humour • Middle East & Islamic • Military affairs

If you do not read Michael Totten's blog regularly (and why the hell don't you? It is one of the best damn things on the internet!) then you may have missed this treasure.

And this comment is pretty good too:

This video proves that the surge has failed miserably. The Iraqis are running wild with their scissors and refuse to drink milk and wear seat belt. The pitiful American forces can't even muster the courage to summon insurgents to a shootout themselves. Instead, they have to order random drivers on the road as "human invitation cards". This is sickening.

Heh indeed.

Comments

Meh. It's not exactly, well, *funny*, and it did involve randomly stopping and confusing some innocent taxi driver.

This, on the other hand, was funny: http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/allpolitics/0611/kerry.sign/frameset.exclude.html(Link)

Posted by J at February 8, 2008 07:57 PM

I disagree but then I am a connoisseur of surreal conversations with armed guys at roadblocks... oh how wish I had a blog in the 1990's as the subject almost deserves a blog of its own... hmmm... working title: "Hilarious things that almost got me killed near Mostar".

Some other day maybe, back to the beer garden...

Posted by Perry de Havilland at February 8, 2008 08:13 PM

Not funny?? Crime in Italy, of course it was funny. The earnest young Marine hasn't had anyone to shoot at the entire time he's been in country. It's a dirty gyp, I tells ya.

Maybe it's an American thing, Perry gets it, being an honorary Yank.

Posted by Hazel Stone at February 8, 2008 09:04 PM

Maybe it's an American thing...

More of a marine thing, I think. I've never heard army guys complain that it's been too long since someone shot at them.

Posted by a.sommer at February 8, 2008 11:36 PM

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