The most newsworthy event in my office this week was that they tried to blow up our Governor. Fortunately, we had given the Governor a $200,000+ armored BMW, so all he suffered was a cracked windshield, a broken radiator, and tire trouble. Unfortunately, his bodyguards, in an unarmored follow car, were injured by the explosion, as were some bystanders. It was a well-planned attack in which the bad guys blocked one route and shot at the motorcade, forcing it to veer towards the roadside bomb.

Despite our best efforts, the Governor is far from the most powerful guy in Baghdad, much less the country, so I don't entirely understand why they are trying so hard to kill him. Anyway, he is a brave guy and vows to fight on.

For those who want to play the home version of "life in Baghdad", I'm sending along a few fotos from the last week or so. Try to match the following descriptions to the proper foto.

1. View from the roof of City Hall
2. Iraqi national team basketball player being interviewed by the Armed Forces Network about why he plays ultimate frisbee with a bunch of Americans
3. A bunch of Americans
4. View on the roof of City Hall, in which I am holding hands with the guy who unlocked the roof door for us not out of fear but because that's what you do in this part of the world.
5. House that got hit with a rocket during this morning's barrage.

It's an amazing place.
Wish you were here.
rob