An overwhelming silence in Baghdad
Army armored vehicles in Kuwait City wait to be shipped to the next destination after they leave Iraq Thursday.
December 15th, 2011
07:12 AM ET

An overwhelming silence in Baghdad

By Barbara Starr reporting from Baghdad

We are traveling with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey.

We landed in Baghdad airport about four hours before the ceremony that would mark the end of nearly nine years of war.

It's a cold dusty morning. What is so striking is the silence. The U.S. military is down to just a few thousand troops in Iraq and maybe just a few hundred in Baghdad.

We are led across a now empty basketball court, past an empty gym and deserted chapel-all once elements of home away from home for the thousands who served here.

The silence is overwhelming, people speak almost in whispers.

But some things haven't changed. The ceremony is in a small courtyard surrounded by blast walls. Before the formal ceremony starts, everyone is told which bunker to go to if we take indirect fire.

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Filed under: Dempsey • Hot Spot Dispatch • Iraq • Military
soundoff (9 Responses)
  1. Sal Legallo

    https://www.electricpercolatorcoffeepot.com/10-top-coffee-bloggers/

    January 11, 2021 at 1:56 am | Reply
  2. victor

    iran is next

    December 20, 2011 at 6:09 pm | Reply
  3. Jannani

    America is the root of all terror. America has invaded sixty countries since world war 2. America invaded Iraq in 2003 and killed 1,000,000+ innocent Iraqi people and displaced 5,000,000+ Iraqi.
    In 1953 America overthrow Iran's democratic government and installed dictator.
    Now America is a failed state with huge debt. America's public debt will be 23 trillion by 2015.

    December 15, 2011 at 4:10 pm | Reply
    • James

      Did someone forget to shave the sheep in the morning and dad beat them? Go beat of allah or something

      December 15, 2011 at 5:02 pm | Reply
  4. michaelfury

    Don't forget to sweep up all the depleted uranium on your way out.

    http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/circle-ix/

    December 15, 2011 at 10:02 am | Reply
  5. DestinationIran

    Destination.......Iran.

    December 15, 2011 at 9:24 am | Reply
  6. Dante

    what was this? shortest article in the history of journalism? Much ado about nothing......!
    "So, reporting from Baghdad, here's the news: there's some silence around me...thank you, i'm Barbara Starr," the end. LOL

    December 15, 2011 at 9:17 am | Reply

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