US leaves the Emerald City
As Clock Strikes 12, U.S. Hands Iraq Control of Green Zone
BAGHDAD, Dec. 31 – The walls of the majestic Republican Palace in Baghdad’s Green Zone have been stripped bare. The vaults that secured American cash and classified documents are gone, and the cement blast walls that protected the front entrance were taken down this week. The U.S. military dining facility inside what was once the American Embassy served its last meal New Year’s Eve.
“This is the end of the world as we know it,” said Sgt. 1st Class Patrick McDonald, 47, who co-authored a guide to historic sites in the Green Zone. “It’s not like everyone is shredding documents and fleeing Saigon. But we are stepping away from a building.”
The handover is a sign of the shrinking footprint and influence of the United States in a country where it has lost thousands of lives and spent billions of dollars. For many Iraqis, the handover represents a significant step forward in their gradual reassertion of dominion over their own affairs. </em>
So lets ponder what ROI we got for all that expense. Basically, we spent trillions of dollars, killed 4000+ troops, maimed thousands more…to kill one guy.
USA! USA! USA!
