Griffs Notes 11/7/2006
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kuwait Int'l Airport - I arrived kuwait to find that I have been "blacklisted" for "overstaying my visa" in 2003. There's not much more alarming than being detained in the head immigration office with a woman who has also arrived here from China and is in a shouting wrestling match with the authorities as they successfully and forcefully deported her.
Although I am somewhat scared because the large and burly Immigration man who is shouting "DEPORTED, DEPORTED," is going to deal with me next... That took 3 hours of negotiation to get word successfully through to the US embassy. The kuwaitis have my passport, my luggage and my return ticket which are all separated from me.
While I am shocked at my predictament, I know that the US is the friend of Kuwait and is generally held in high regard for saving the small oil-rich nation from Saddam's invasion in 1991, so I am finding confidence that there must be a way out of this situation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But being the intrepid reporter that I am, I took the opportunity to ask many of the kuwaiti officials who dealt with me what their reaction to Saddam's verdict was - they were unanimously glad the dictator would soon hang.
Just to note, in a situation like this, it is impossible to figure out exactly who is really in charge - I never really figured that out although I gather that the chief wasn't the thief who stole my laptop.
At 3a local time, almost 12 hours after I arrived I am incredibly relieved to finally get a new visa and am met by the US Consul General "Sonny" Busa and his lovely wife past the customs barrier in the airport. I have new friends here for which I am forever indebted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After scrambling a room at a downtown hotel room, saying I slept like a baby is an understatement.
Soon I will connect with my military attache and manisfest on a military flight headed for Baghdad where I will find out what the troops reaction to the election results. From there, it's forward in the field to the Marines on the front lines.
I'm already a little weary, but not deterred in my quest to tell the story of the troops. I read in the local paper today that the Kurdish PM in Iraq was criticizing the US media's portrayal of the war.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And despite what people say about America's image around the world, I was thanful last night that I was an American last night.