KGB

I had an opportunity to visit the Kirkuk Government Building (KGB) the other evening, after we left the Patrol Base. The KGB is close enough to the PB that the soldiers from the PB walk to the KGB to pull guard duty. Because they walk, they don’t carry much, so we delivered a few cases of bottled water on our way back to the FOB.

We drove past the seesaw concrete barriers, and past the red and white striped barrier arm lifted by an Iraqi Policeman, into the compound around the KGB. A large bushy white dog barked us in, and circled around with his nose in the air and his ears flat while we unloaded. I wondered if it was going to attack, but it kept a respectful distance.

The guards weren’t there to meet us, so we went in the KGB and looked around for them. The KGB is a large, three-story building, with very wide halls. The floor is laid with dirty tile, and the walls are a flat earth tone tan paint. It was about 21:00 so almost no one was there. I heard Arabic being spoken behind one door, but only one. A few doors had signs announcing, I dunno, something, probably the occupant’s name or office, but most doors were blank wood. There were no signs or directories. If you didn’t know where to go, you’d just have to ask or walk around.

After a while the guards turned up and we handed off the water. The dog barked us off the compound, and we returned to the FOB. Overall, my impression of the KGB is that it is run down and poorly cleaned and maintained, like almost everything else in the country.

On the other hand, I did see one beautiful new 5 story building, crisp white with pink trim. The windows and doorways formed Arabic geometric patterns. I’d like to think it represents the future of Kirkuk. I see lots of stuff that used to be nice, and I wonder if the economic sanctions and the declining economy are why things are so run down.