
(AP) People sit in front of some of the houses that villagers have
built using bricks and cinderblocks from the rubble Thursday, July
17,2008 in the Euphrates River village of Khidr, Iraq. The villagers
rebuilt their homes from what remained after al-Qaida was
driven from Khidr, 45 miles south of Baghdad, in December 2007.
(AP Photo/Robert Burns)
BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi officials say they have approved plans to build a five-star hotel in the Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone.
Iraq's National Investment Commission says land for the project is being leased by the Summit Global Group, a U.S.-based investment company.
Robert Kelley, head of Summit Global, says the 300-room hotel will cost $100 million. He says American and Iraqi investors are involved in the project, but he did not name them.
At a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, Kelley said construction would begin soon, but he did not specify a date.
Iraqi government offices and American diplomatic and military facilities are inside the Green Zone, also known as the International Zone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ah, yes......the sweet sound of cash registers ka-chinging amongst the gentle rocking of mortars mixed with soil, bricks, and flesh. And the music to fall asleep by--I believe it is called "Incoming in my Dreams", and its by the Boyz from the Big M. Delicious 5-star meals served with a little settling dust from falling ceiling tiles or drywall dust and glitter!
And the sights to see........market shopping in flak jackets and APCs; or the museum of non-stolen artifacts. Or a dip in the delightful Euphrates--in a lagoon setting complete with netting to hold out decomposing bodies.
Yes........I can see it all now. Complete with 100% backing of the us feeble gubmint.