I'm going to Kirkuk, Iraq

[Sh3kel]

You do of course realize without the protection of a press pass and camera crew, a military unit behignd you or without even having an Iraqi translator going to Iraq, alone, unassisted, without being an Iraqi or even Arab ex-patriate will get you kidnapped and behaded, right?

 

[amadeus]

Red is a little too accustomed to the benefits of living in civilized society.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

Kinda rude dont you think? I have no reason to disbelieve him, do you? That is, outside of your own skepticism of your fellow man?

Oh...and again I say....there are only two good reasons to go to Iraq. One: If you have to. Two: For a complete buttload of money.

You are getting neither, thus its a really bad idea.

First of all, since he's not a journalist or consular official, and is an American, how the hell is he going to get a visa issued? He's not, because he's not going, and this thread should be closed.

On the other hand, he probably just misspelled Los Angeles as Iraq.

 

[Urederra]

You do of course realize without the protection of a press pass and camera crew, a military unit behignd you or without even having an Iraqi translator going to Iraq, alone, unassisted, without being an Iraqi or even Arab ex-patriate will get you kidnapped and behaded, right?

If we cannot convince him to desist from going, we could tell him to reveal his real name just in case he is beheaded we can open a posthumous thread in his memory, with youtube link included.

And at the same time, we can also convince him to add CFC in his last will, so thunderfall can raise the limit size of our avatars.

@Red Stranger: If what you need is new dangerous experiences, I can teach you how to do the running of the bulls in my hometown. Heck, I can be your guide in the city.

 

[The Yankee]

Moderator Action: All flaming in this thread must stop now.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[theimmortal1]

Good luck. Its not nearly as bad as the libs try to make it to be. But watch out, I'd def carry a few guns. Kill yourself before you get captured for sure. Rather end it like that than get your head sawwed off by some crazy Muslim.

 

[boarder]

Bad idea, I wouldnt go if I was you.
GL

 

[Shylock]

I envy you, you have the money and time to just pick up and go to Iraq.
Surely you have better things to do than to worry about a moronic land grab and "see it for yourself". Iraq isn't a theme park.

I hear you get personalised Mickey Mouse hats upon entry and there are guided tours every 2 hours. There's even parades!

 

[Narz]

In January I'll be going to the North Pole to find out for myself if it's really as cold there as they say.

I loves ya Reddy, stay safe.

off topic : my GF just sold a water filter to some guy in Saudi Arabia.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Moderator Action: Wish granted. Have a month.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Jawz II]

godspeed. kirkuk is in kurdistan i think, so not many arabs there.

go to baghdad and make sure to engage as many arabs as possible in political discussion, it will be good for you.

dont be affraid to leave the green zone, all those horror stories we hear are from the liberally biased news media, totally exaggerated.

 

[Mise]

How old are you Red Stranger?

 

[nonconformist]

The traqditional arab way of greeting is to wear a pimp hat, stride into the Mosque, and holler "'Sup, Homies?".
If you do that you'll be accepted as one of them.

 

[Lotus49]

Dude, I've turned down $150K(+) jobs in Iraq (first 80 - tax free!), just because I didn't think it was worth it. I figure, I spent 4 years in the military (USMC), and never got sent to war, so why the heck would I go risk it now.

-And you're going "just because you want to see it for yourself".

Talk to some veterans that have come back - check in w/ your local Nat. Guard units that have been deployed over there (or are you military - I don't know), and talk to them about what it's like over there. Your desire to go, will greatly diminish.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

Red Stranger:

If you are seriously going in January, you will already have had a visa issued to you.

Post a scanned copy of this visa in your passport, with a few items of personal information that we don't need to know (ie. passport number, last name) blacked out, to prove it to us.

 

[Bast]

Two days ago, I told my father that I'm tired of just getting the news about Iraq from News networks. Since I was promoted that day, I told him that I want to be able to make more important decisions. I decided that I want to go to Kirkuk to see the situation for myself. He accepted on the condition that I first go to Cairo, Egypt to learn about the culture before I go. So in January, I'm heading over to Cairo, and if he feels that my skills are good enough I'll be heading over to Kirkuk.

Child, why would you risk your life like that? If you do go, all the best and stay safe.

 

[bathsheba666]

This is consistent with many of your other posts.

How many hours are you planning to spend in Cairo, before the culture is an open book to you?
At what point will the issue of differences in culture between Cairo and Kirkuk be addressed?
How will you ensure that you are receiving authentic native input on the situation,
rather than that of, say, apologists for the invasion?
How will you weigh the respective input of these two factions?

I would not give my son my blessing to go to Kirkuk,
but then your father knows you better than I do.

More importantly, what if you like it less than your visit to Los Angeles?

 

[Lotus49]

Alright, looks like he's not military - just going on his own (the whole 'promotion' thing in the OP threw me off). Basically, this just seems like a great way to go flirt with danger, and probably wind up getting abducted, if not taken out by some random weapon.

This idea that you can 'blend in' is hilarious. That's really all I can say about it. These people can easy tell the different sub-cultural sects between themselves, and you think they aren't going to tell who you are?

If you're -apparently- in So Cal, and you just want to go on a dangerous adventure... just head into Mexico. Keep going south, as far as you dare. If all you're looking to do is "head out, into the badlands"... you don't need to fly to Iraq, you know...

Heck there's areas in So Cal you could go into, and never be seen again! Places where if the car breaks down in the highway... you're pretty much screwed.

Especially if you're the 'typical American', as I imagine you to be.



But, if you've got an insatiable appetite for danger, hey - go for it. Who knows, might be an interesting trip. But, the risk is extremely high that an 'unfriendly societal element' will encounter you, and 'seek to interact with you'. Too high -the risk- ...that's why I wouldn't go, even for large amounts of money, staying in a very 'safe' area (even the U.S. bases take random hits, from arc-fired RPG's and mortars).

"I want to go to Iraq". That's funny.

 

[Oerdin]

I've already been to Kirkuk. Nothing special there.

I specialize in going to some of the world's shittiest places.

 

[Uiler]

godspeed. kirkuk is in kurdistan i think, so not many arabs there.

go to baghdad and make sure to engage as many arabs as possible in political discussion, it will be good for you.

dont be affraid to leave the green zone, all those horror stories we hear are from the liberally biased news media, totally exaggerated.

Kirkurk is not in Kurdistan. It's basically divided between the Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. All the reports I've seen agree that if civil war breaks out, Kirkuk is likely to be one of the biggest battlefields in Iraq as all three factions fight for control of the city (and more importantly its very rich oil fields). In my opinion they are likely to be aiming for genocide as the last group standing is going to be able to keep the city. Right now there are already lots of reports of fighting between the three factions.

For example:

http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=915168

MIL-IRAQ-KIRKUK-ATTACKS
Policeman killed in Kirkuk, attack by mortars against Iraqi army

IRBIL, Oct 2 (KUNA) -- One policeman was killed south of the northern Iraqi Kirkuk city here Sunday and an Iraqi army headquarters came under a mortar attack.

An Iraqi police source said unidentified gunmen opened fire at the policeman and his son close to Kirkuk. He died instantly and his son was seriously injured.

The source added that the headquarters of the army's Third Brigade for infrastructure stationed along Kirkuk-Riyadh road came under a mortar attack launched by unidentified gunmen last night. The 19 mortar rounds were fired at the headquarters but there were no reports on casualties. (end) sbr.

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=16873

September was seen as one of the bloodiest months in Kirkuk, as the city witnessed an unprecedented surge in violence. According to the US military, there have been 20 suicide bombings and 63 roadside bombs since August. For many, the attacks were seen as a warning to stop the implementation of Article 140, as well as an attempt to accentuate the ethnic tensions within the city. The wave of violence has increased tensions among the Kurdish, Arab and Turkoman populations, and the next 18 months may witness even more violence as the referendum nears.

The stakes are extremely high. With Kirkuk housing the second-largest oil fields in Iraq and accounting for 70 percent of Iraq's natural-gas deposits, the issue of oil revenues further underscores the strategic importance of the city.

Kirkuk, in a sense, is a microcosm of Iraq, with its mixture of ethnic groups and religious sects jockeying for power. Thus, if the situation in Kirkuk could be reconciled, it could perhaps be a model for resolving the divisions and sectarian strife currently engulfing Iraq as a whole. As an unnamed Western diplomat told The Guardian on 28 October, "If Kirkuk survives, then there is hope for Iraq."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/28/iraq.main/

Police were also investigating the killing of a women's rights leader in Iraq.

Gunmen reportedly stormed Faliha Ahmed Hassan's house in Hawija, about 43 miles southwest of Kirkuk, and shot her to death on Friday evening.

Also in Hawija, gunmen on Saturday morning killed an Iraqi soldier and wounded three others in an attack on a joint Iraqi army and police patrol, a Kirkuk police official said.