Baghdad Anne - Part 5B

Liberty Pool. I honestly never went there, but it was a popular spot for many.

View of the twin-sized bed in my hootch. The bois gave me the little stuffed creatures resting on the pillow - they won them in a claw game at the beach.

“Drawers” and “closets.” Plus part of the desk.

The desk where I sat to write the original Baghdad Anne website, plus TV and underneath was a small, college dorm room sized refrigerator. The black lockers were for storage.

Storage lockers and door to the shared bathroom. My “hootchmate” was on the other side of the bathroom.

Now we’ve come a full 360. The door into my hootch. On the side next to the door, I had hooks for hanging my ID/hat/crossbody holder for my phone etc. And one chair and a fire extinguisher.

Palace Pool. This is where I swam laps at lunchtime. The fountain rarely worked.

Pavilion and seating around the palace pool

Pool Rules. And remember: “NO DRINKING WHILE ARMED. This was for civilians, as the military was under General Order Number One: Zero alcohol (among other rules).

Another view of the pool. Since the Embassy was in a palace that belonged to Sadam Hussein, one can only assume he and his friends and family must have gone swimming here!

Meanwhile, back at Liberty Pool, they had some cool sun shades.

I loved this. The sign says “No returns allowed after 48 hours” in Spanish. This is a small shop located in the Green Zone. Since most of the static guards (i.e. the ones who stand in one place, versus roving patrols) were from Latin America, this translation was needed.

Put yer stuff here while ya swim! Including your helmets and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment, i.e. bulletproof vests)

One of the camps on the compound - The Palms

Walkway in front of the Embassy and near the Post Office. While I was there, two people were killed by a rocket as they were seated on one of these benches having a cigarette. At the time, I was at the helopad waiting for a ride to the airport for my last R&R. The rocket flew by over our heads so close we could see it. This is where it landed.