Not even Borat can make me laugh at 6am. I spent the night on a metal bench in the hanger that serves as a terminal on the military side of Baghdad International Airport. The authorities there leave the television turned on, at full blast, 24/7. I woke up to the scene of Borat racing naked through a hotel. The armed forces programming director has some nerve. I’m writing now from Kuwait, nearly 24 hours after the latest leg of my journey began.
Waiting around for something to happen (or not happen) in Iraq can be incredibly frustrating, but I’ve also found it’s a great opportunity to strike up chance conversations with those stuck in the same boat. Last night, for example, while waiting for the bus to take me to the airport, I talked with a Navy SEAL who was retiring after 22 years in the service. He had spent the past nine months training Iraqi army forces.
